This indecisive naval battle took place on 8 July 1716 during a Turkish attempt to capture the island of Corfu (Kerkyra), off the west coast of mainland Greece. Background War had been declared between the Ottoman Empire and Venice on 9 December 1714, although it wasn't until June 1715 that a Turkish fleet left the Dardanelles Strait. Soon Venice had been forced out of almost all of the Morea. In 1716, the Turks goal was the capture of the western Greek island of Corfu. This island forms a horseshoe shape, with the two ends close to the Greek mainland, and forms a bay with two narrow entrances. On the island, midway between the two entrances, is the town also called Corfu. Because of the prevailing winds it is difficult for sailing fleets to sail into this bay from the south. The Turkish fleet, under Kapudan Pasha Canum Hoca left the Dardanelles Strait in May 1716 and made its way around the Morea. While keeping his rowed warships in Corfu, the Venetian Captain General of the Sea, Andrea Pisani, sent his more manoeuvreable ships of the line ahead, under the Capitano Straordinario delle Navi Andrea Corner, to observe the straits between the Morea and Crete for the Ottomans' approach. As the Turks approached he withdrew northward to Zante (Zakynthos). On 22 June, Pisani sent Corner to intercept the Ottoman fleet, but the Ottomans chose to bypass the straits between the Ionian Islands and the mainland and sail out into the open sea, rounding on Corfu from the northwest. The Ottomans arrived in the northern exit of the Corfu Channel on 5 July, and readied themselves to ferry across an Ottoman army of 30,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry, that had gathered on the mainland shore at Butrint. Pisani, having to confront the far superior Ottoman fleet of 62 ships with only his rowed vessels, decided not to risk a battle. He withdrew his vessels under the guns of Corfu's fortresses, and later, on 5 July, he and abandoned his station in the Corfu Channel for the open sea, hoping to find Corner's squadron, which he had not heard from for several days. After a search for the Turks, Corner realised on 27 June that they had sailed past him further out to sea, and he proceeded back to Corfu, following the Ottoman fleet at a few days distance. As a result, instead