Bodrum Marks 461 Years Since the Death of Admiral Turgut Reis
Bodrum Municipality's Culture, Arts and Social Affairs Directorate has put together a two-day programme to mark the 461st anniversary of the martyrdom of Admiral Turgut Reis, the Ottoman naval commander born in the Karabag district of what is now Turgutreis.
Monday 22 June - Talk at Sevket Sabanci Centre
The programme opens on Monday 22 June at 20.30 with a talk titled 'From the Shores of Karabag to the Mediterranean: In the Footsteps of Turgut Reis', held at Sevket Sabanci Culture and Arts Centre. The speaker is researcher Tarik Eray Cakir. The event is free to attend and gives local residents a chance to hear the admiral's story told in the place where it began.
Tuesday 23 June - Ceremony, March, and Concert in Turgutreis
On Tuesday 23 June, a commemoration ceremony takes place at 19.00 in front of the Turgut Reis Statue in Karabag. At 20.30, a cortege march sets off from in front of Migros in Turgutreis, accompanied by the Incirliova Mehter Band. The evening closes at 21.30 with a commemorative concert.
Turgutreis itself takes its name from the admiral, and the statue in Karabag marks the neighbourhood traditionally associated with his origins. The combination of a formal ceremony at the statue and a street march through the town centre makes this one of the more grounded local commemorations on the summer calendar.
Practical Notes
Both days of events are in Turgutreis, roughly 18 kilometres west of Bodrum town centre. If you are coming from central Bodrum, allow time for the drive or check dolmus schedules in advance. The march route starts at the Migros on the main road, which is a straightforward landmark.
For other events happening around the peninsula this summer, see the Bodrum.Today events section.
Source: Bodrum Municipality - Admiral Turgut Reis Commemoration Programme announcement, 22 June 2026
