Istanbul Province Istanbul Province Istanbul Province (), also the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ("İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi") is a province of Turkey. It has an area of and is located in the Marmara region in the north-west of the country, bordered by Tekirdağ Province to the west and Kocaeli Province to the east. The Bosphorus Strait between the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south divides Istanbul Province into European and Asian sides, which makes it one of only two transcontinental provinces in Turkey, along with Çanakkale Province. Istanbul Province has a population of 14,804,116 as of 2016,
Battle of the Strait of Hormuz following year. Battle of the Strait of Hormuz The Battle of the Strait of Hormuz was fought in August 1553 between an Ottoman fleet, commanded by admiral Murat Reis, against a Portuguese fleet of Dom Diogo de Noronha. The Turks were forced to retreat after clashing with the Portuguese. After Piri Reis was executed in late 1552, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had him replaced by Murat Reis, as Ottoman "admiral of the Indian Ocean fleet". His mission was to transfer 15 galleys stationed at Basra to the Red Sea, to firmly secure it against Portuguese incursions. Such a task however,