Sinan Reis

Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha's force defeats the Holy League of Charles V under the command of Andrea Doria at the Battle of Preveza in 1538. Sinan Reis' leadership was key to the Ottoman victory.

Sinan Reis, also known as Ciphut Sinan, (, Sinan Rais; , Sinan Rayyis;)

Life

Origins There are two competing explanations for Sinan Reis' epithet, "the Jew". While Ottoman sources are generally silent about his origins, most modern works assert that he was born to a Sephardic Jewish family which fled Spain or Portugal and possibly relocated to the then Ottoman ruled Smyrna, Sinan sailed as a Barbary corsair, a type of privateer or pirate, under the Ottoman flag. There are several cases of Jews who upon fleeing Iberia turned to attacking the Empire's shipping, a profitable strategy of revenge for the Inquisition's religious persecution.

Corsair Sinan was based out of Mediterranean points including Santorini, and fought in several key battles against the Spanish and the Holy Roman Empire, at the time ruled by the same man, Charles V.

The English State Papers of 1533 bear evidence of his actions: quote|As to Coron, it was reported at Rome a few days ago that Andrea Doria was informed that the famous Jewish pirate had prepared a strong fleet to meet the Spanish galleys which are to join Doria's nineteen It is said that he died just days before a planned departure for a raiding mission to the coast of India.

Not to be mistaken Sinan (the pirate) is not the Sinan buried in a Jewish cemetery in Albania, (The Turkish word for Scutari in Albania is also Üsküdar).