Thousands of women and men living in Europe from the 1500s to the 18th century were converted to Islam by changing their religious beliefs. Many of them lived in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Tripoli regions, called the Maghreb. The conversion of women was generally due to marriage, and this was considered normal at that time. The situation of men was slightly different. Two options were offered to the Christian prisoners captured by the Algerian pirates. They would either change religion and then join the pirates, or they would either be sold as slaves or left as forels. Many of those found were illegally engaged in piracy while they were converting, and they aimed to justify their work. Another part was changing religion when they fell into the hands of Muslims because they were afraid to be slaves. In this way, the conversion of religion took place quickly.

During the medieval period, the Christian world and the Islamic world were at war. These men, who entered the service of the Muslims in this way, were seen as low people who betrayed sacred values ​​in the eyes of the Christian Europeans. These men were called "Renegados" by the Europeans, which meant treacherous, returning from religion, and renegade. According to angry Europeans, the only reason for these traitors to change their religion was evil desires such as revenge, greed and wealth. They had just changed religion to achieve these demands. Great rewards were placed on the Renegados all over Europe. Those who found and killed them were entitled to serious rewards. Even if a renegade caught in Spain wanted to repent and return to his old religion, this request was not accepted and renegado could not escape being burned. Under these circumstances, it was inevitable that these seafarers would take refuge in other countries.

Most of the pirates working on the North African coast consisted of Renegados and Moriscos, the Andalusian Umayyads who escaped Spanish suffering. All of these pirates were referred to by the Europeans as Turkish. When war broke out, this section immediately joined the Ottoman navy. In peacetime, they also protected the Ottoman coastal security. Even the word "musulmano" within the borders of Venice was considered a great insult during the periods when the Ottoman Empire was strong under the pressure of Europe by the sea and the land. In European culture, Turks were referred to as devil Turks. Muslims were perceived only as Turks at that time. Therefore, Renegado was addressed as a Turk with a Christian return. Mutually Christians were attacking Turkish ships and they were capturing Muslims. However, many of these prisoners did not agree to be Christians. Few of the Renegades who converted to Islam agreed to become Christians again. What should be the reason for this? They were easily adopting Christian Islam, as a different behavioral pattern was exhibited.

The reason for this was of course due to Islam. Likewise, the stiffness of European culture also caused this situation. Someone who was a substrate in European culture would never be able to rise and would always stay in the same place, that is, its layer. He used to live like a fisherman, and that certainly wouldn't change. The peasant lived and died as a peasant. When the war broke out, most of them were recruited or sent to ships and asked to work in difficult conditions. The famous British pirate John Ward, who became a Muslim and named Yusuf Reis, rebelled and started piracy when he was forced to work in the service of the Royal Navy. As a result, the Europeans had no choice. In the Ottoman State, the situation was different due to Islam. Slaves could gain their freedom when they served faithfully for a certain time. A person from the lower layer in the Ottoman Empire could hardly come to very high authorities in time in a way that would happen in Europe. Many Renegado also reached high positions in the Ottoman State. In the marine life of the 17th century, certain problems that would arise as a result of the Industrial Revolution began to manifest themselves in this period as well. Ships were the important equipment of this system, and the sailors were in the position of a crushed slave at the bottom of this wheel. The conditions in merchant ships operating in Europe revealed the awful picture of even the first stages of capitalism. Besides the merchant ships, the situation of warships was even more deplorable. The situation of seafarers on duty here was not even comparable to those on merchant ships.

Sailors, who were crushed in the lowest part of the European economy, had many concrete reasons to justify their situation. They were treated unfairly and their wages were at a very low level. Some were tortured. They were unofficially slaves of the rich, kings, shipowners, and evil princes. Over time, the risks of catching scurvy could also arise. Others were at risk of losing their lives. Wealth was in the hands of the bourgeois and aristocracy, which had risen at that time.

In the same period, European adventure people who wanted to be rich were voluntarily participating in pirates attacking ships where the state was enemies. The piracy career of the captains, who gained much fame, started in this way. In other words, it started by piracy on enemy ships. A pirate declared illegal by one state could enter the service of another state. The pirates, which were declared illegal by the European states, were also Renegado. They could only live in Muslim ports.

Renegades, who was on the team of Maghreb pirates, looted European ships and captured Christian sailors. In return, the ransom also carried out the hijackings they wanted. In the same period, Christian pirates were doing mercilessly in the seas. These also caused serious damage by attacking Muslim ships. Few of the people captured by the Knights of Malta agreed to become Christians by changing religion. In the 17th century, among the Renegados were Little Murat Reis, Süleyman Reis, Simon Reis, Uluç Ali Reis, and Yusuf Reis. These names are also names that marked the Turkish maritime history. We find it useful to take a look at the stories of these names.

It is estimated that John Ward, Yusuf Reis, was born in 1553 in Southeast England. Unfortunately, there is not much information about John Ward's history. It is estimated that he served in fisheries in coastal towns and was legally engaged in piracy after the unsuccessful invasion of the Spanish navy in 1588. When Britain and Spain signed peace in 1603, John Ward's job ended and he was unemployed. He then continued fishing. When he was forced to get into the Royal Navy, he rebelled and started piracy again. Two weeks later, with about 30 friends, he stole a 25-ton bill from the port and continued his piracy career. It was opened to the Mediterranean with its crew and captured a 32-gun warship while cruising on the sea.

They carried out attacks on merchant ships sailing on the sea for 2 years. In 1605 important pirates joined this team. John Ward reached an agreement with the Principality of Tunisia for the following year in exchange for loot. Thus, an agreement was reached in return of 1/5 of the booty obtained. Tunisian ports can now be used as bases. In the future, he changed his religion and was named Yusuf Reis. After this time, he entered the service of the Ottoman State. He continued to work in this way until he retired from piracy. He lived a comfortable life until he died in 1622 due to the plague disease. He has enjoyed a rich and quality life in Tunisia. He served important services to the Ottoman Empire.

Sieman Danziger, who became a Muslim by entering the service of the Principality of Algeria in the 1600s, came from Marseille and settled in Algeria. He served as a Dutch shipbuilder. He has fought hard against the Spaniards in 3 years since he came to Algeria. He was the headmaster by gathering a sufficient number of crew members. As a result of his success against the Spaniards, he gained an important reputation in the Mediterranean. It was also named as Simon Reis among the Turks. Over time, it has also helped many seafarers catch up.

He signed an agreement with the French government in 1609 to see his wife and children in Marseille. After he stayed in Marseille for many years, he was executed in Algeria, where he went to establish diplomatic relations with the request of the French government in 1611.

Jan Janszoon, born in North Holland in 1575, carried out attacks against Spanish sailors with a pirate decree from the state in 1600. However, because it was not profitable to work with the Dutch government, he decided to pirate on the North African coast. Thus, it has reached a status that can attack all foreign ships. However, during the piracy activities, it fell into the hands of Turkish pirates. He was taken prisoner to Algeria. It adopted the name of Little Murat Reis by accepting Islam in Algeria. After that, it was put into service by the Ottoman Navy.

Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, who opened his eyes to the world as the son of a seafaring family, is the person who reaches the highest position among the Renegado. He was taken prisoner by Turkish pirates in 1536. He was a foreman in Turkish ships for several years. Later on, he changed his religion to Uluç Ali Reis. Due to its successful activities, it has gained an important reputation in the Mediterranean in a short time. As a fearless pirate, it has become one of the important pirates of the Mediterranean. He participated in very important raids with Turgut Reis. In the following years, he was assigned to very important duties in the Ottoman Navy. After the defeat of Inebahtı, in 1572, he was awarded the captain Derya. After he was appointed to this position, he served as the Kılıç Ali Pasha until his death in 1587

Cığalazade Yusuf Sinan Pasha, who came to his place after the death of Uluç Reis and served as Captain Derya, is also a Renegado sailor. He is a Genoese personality. At the age of 15, in the Battle of Djerba, off the coast of Tunis, he was captured by the Ottoman Navy with his father. He was brought to Istanbul after the captivity. Although his father was released and returned to his country, he remained in Istanbul and became a Muslim there. Its new name was Yusuf Sinan. Yusuf Sinan Pasha was appointed as Captain Derya in 1591. In 1596, he worked as a grand vizier for 40 days. In 1599, he was appointed as Captain Derya again and continued this duty until 1604. He was appointed as the army commander in the war between Safavid and the Ottoman State. He retreated to Van Castle with his army, which was defeated by the Safavid Army the following year and passed away in Diyarbakır after a certain time.

Renegado's served as very important bridges for the east-west maritime history. By transferring the maritime technology to the east, it has led powerful states such as the Ottoman State to have strong navies. They served as a bridge in transferring information. These sailors, who are called traitors according to the Europeans, actually operated in the east as a reaction to the injustices they suffered in the west. They disliked their current living conditions and disobeyed them for better conditions. As a result of their rebellion, they found themselves on many adventures. Finding a fair life in the Ottoman State, Renegados made important moves in the advancement of the Ottoman State. The Ottoman navy lived its golden age thanks to these names.