Ottoman sailor's monument inaugurated in Algeria

By Tevfik Durul

ANKARA

A monument commemorating Ottoman-era sailor Oruc Reis was inaugurated in northwestern Algeria on Tuesday, according to Turkish official sources.

The monument was built in Chabat El Laham district of Ain Temouchent province with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the local governorship.

The project was also followed closely by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was realized by the initiative of Turkey's Embassy in Algeria.

The five-meter-high statue was designed by Algerian artists Ali and Sami Mebbani.

Reis participated in the conquest of Algiers in 1516 and was martyred in 1518 while fighting the Spanish in Chabat El Laham.