Gulf of Çeşme

 bay, invisible

The site of a famous naval battle between the Turkish fleet (lead by Kaptan Pasha Hüsameddin) and the Russian squadron (commanded by Prince Alexey Orlov) on 5-7 July 1770. The battle was the only significant naval battle of the Russo-Turkish war. The Battle of Chesme was fought on the same day as the land Battle of Larga. It was the greatest naval defeat suffered by Turkey since the Battle of Lepanto (1571). This battle inspired great confidence in the Russian fleet and allowed the Russians to control the Aegean Sea for some time. The defeat of the Turkish fleet also sped up rebellions by minority groups in the Ottoman Empire, especially the Orthodox Christian nations in the Balkan peninsula, who helped the Russian army in defeating Turkey.

Nowadays, the bay is popular with water-sports lovers, due to quite strong winds.