Turkish archery is a school within Asian & Middle Eastern archery. Short, recurved composite bows are shot with thumb release. Despite the popularity of Ottoman flight archery among archery-and history enthusiasts, Turks were brilliant target shooters too. In the Archery field in Istanbul archers used to shoot a target called “puta” from distances as far as 265 m! Many sultans were depicted shooting at closer, hand-held, circular targets, probably made of wood. Shooting at closer targets with great accuracy was also reported by Ogien de Busbecq, the envoy of Habsburg dynasty in 16th century. Turkish-Ottoman bows are not easy to handle with their short length and classical “no bow window” design. Thumb release is harder to master than three finger release, but when mastered, it provides some advantages in the battlefield. This weapon-shooting technique combination provides great flexibility in fast shooting and in shooting in various body positions. Here are some examples…