The First Turkish Navy Admiral: Chaka Bey

Abstract

Turks paid special attention to the organization of ground troops due to their geographical location in Central Asia which is why they built the strongest land army in the world. Their first naval endeavor emerged after the conquest of Anatolia. This was because of Anatolia’s geographical position, being an Asian peninsula extending towards the west and situated between the con­tinents of Europe and Asia, and also a conjunction of land and sea routes between the continents. With the start of the Turkish conquest of Anatolia after the victorious Battle of Malazgirt in 1071, the strategy of Turkish domi­nation changed. The new rulers of the area surrounded by sea from three sides realized that the way to protect their territory was the domination of the seas. During this period, mass migration took place from Turkey to the region of western Anatolia, and on the other hand, Chaka Bey (Çaka Bey) managed to dominate Smyrna (Izmir) after the change on the throne of the Byzantine Empire in 1081. He established a Turkish Seaside Principality (Türk Sahil Beyliği or İzmir Türk Beyliği). Although his life was short, the first coastal Turkish state is significant from the point of view of Turkish history, meaning that the history of the Turkish navy starts in 1081, which is the date of the first fleet built by Chaka Bey.