Özet:

The Urla Peninsula, in the middle of the Western Anatolian coast, is a bridge that brings together the Anatolian mainland and Aegean cultures. As a matter of fact, it has hosted various cultures associated with these two aspects throughout the ages. While two of the twelve Ionian cities are located on the peninsula, both are close neighbors. However, the geographical structure and location of the peninsula creates a defense and security weakness. Throughout the ages, the peninsula has been exposed to security-oriented activities such as piracy, banditry and smuggling and, on the other hand, military attacks by organized political forces. Archaeological data have revealed that such threats were also present in the protohistoric period. During the Early Bronze Age, Liman Tepe on the Urla İskelesi became a regional administrative and political center with a magnificent castle, lower city and port. In the same period, it is seen that a security and defense system which has the ability to keep the main roads and bays of the peninsula under control. Within this system, Gölkayası near Alaçatı has control of the direction of Samos Island whereas Kale Tepe controls the Urla-Çeşme road, and Yaren Tepe controls the direction of Sığacık Bay. Within the 2^nd millennium BC, narrow regional administrative structures began to be replaced by powers dominating larger regions. The material culture in the settlements of this period on the peninsula is parallel to Anatolia. In addition, in the process, first Minoan, then Mycenaean commercial and cultural influences emerged. Few defense units are known from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. These are mostly located in the eastern part of the region, which is connected to the mainland.

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