From the desk of His Sacred and Imperial Majesty, Erdoğan I, Sultan of Sultans, Khan of Khans, Sovereign of the Sublime House of Osman, Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the Universe, Custodian of the Two Noble Sanctuaries, Caesar of the Roman Empire and Supreme Leader of Turkey, Emperor of the Three Cities, Lord of Anatolia, Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Rumelia, Thrace, Wallachia, Serbia, Bessarabia, and Kosovo, Protector of Algeria, Cyrenaica, Dongola, Egypt, Goree, Tripolitania, and Tunis, Caretaker of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Hedjaz, Mesopotamia, Meskheiti, Palestine, Persia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrzygstan, Takijistan, and Uzbekistan, and Guardian of Haiti, Saint Martin, Aruba, Bonaire, Suriname, Curacao, Saba, Saint Eustatius, and Indonesia...
Friends and fellow citizens of the world,
I would open this address by reflecting on the recent turmoil of the past few months, but this would be disingenuous; there has always been turmoil in this world since long before I took throne at Topkapi Palace, and long before the events of late. Many of our international community have butted heads for years, whether they be veterans of the Pearsonic Wars, the proxy wars between Diego and the pirate coalitions, or even the Black Comet invasions and the glory days of Pablo Swordmaster.
Of course, that was all a long time ago - and Pablo Swordmaster is just a memory, the Co. Empire has gone to dust, and Pearson Wright has waged his final wars. Their brand of politics has disappeared from the world, for better or worse. They've all left us a tremendous legacy, and it has been truly interesting seeing how today's leaders fill their shoes.
In many ways, the world has never been more peaceful. A direct, major conflict between any of the Great Powers seems too fanciful a prospect to even suggest, despite animosity and political intrigue never being more apparent. Indeed, while Britain and Spain will perhaps never do war with each other again, still their despots conspire and spy on each other, waiting for either to slip up and expose a chink in their ever expanding spheres of influence; colorful balloons filled with air waiting to pop.
As I consider my own personal journey in this strange international struggle for hegemony, I am left conflicted yet strangely content. When my Brethren left the world stage to pursue a simpler life, I thought that it would be wise of me to remain behind and fight to preserve the mercantile legacy of the Court. I believed that, while our brotherhood was strong and eternal, none of it mattered if no one else recognized us.
I was left by my lonesome to ponder this great experiment for several months. I quickly discovered that not even the great Ottoman Sultan could stand on his own, and that if the newly expanded Empire were to ever survive it would need great allies. I thought I found a great ally in the Kingdom of Spain. And I was correct. Their armies are strong and their commanders are bold, and most importantly their citizens are kind and their openness is a welcome respite to the growingly disdainful world.
And yet, as I suspected, even they are not immune to intrigue. And how could I blame them? All men have their agendas, and all nations need insurance if they are to survive. I know that better than most. But survival is no longer my goal. I have considered my place in the world and concluded that my presence as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire is no longer needed. Moreover, the presence of the Ottoman Empire itself is not needed.
If you will permit me, allow me to propose another grand experiment. The Eternal State is massive, larger than any of my ancestors could have dreamed of. And despite its great potential, it has stagnated, and its steadfast and numerous cultures yearn for self-determination - to escape the Ottoman yoke and fend for themselves in this vast and strange world.
After the publishing of this address, the Ottoman Empire shall formally disband and its caliphate permanently abolished. Its lands shall partially be divided among the current nations of the world, but more importantly its countless cultures shall finally be granted the right to determine their own fates. Old states and new states will emerge and be thrust into the world stage for ambitious leaders of the present and future to vie for control over.
I know that there has been a yearning for newer and younger voices to be introduced to the world stage, and I empathize with this yearning. It is as unjustifiable that an absentee Sultan rule over these great vacant lands as it would be for the other vast Empires of the world to encroach upon this territory. Yes, the old Empires will have their shares as a toast of good will. But in keeping with the spirit of competition and to finally show the world something interesting for once, I have created these new, vacant states with the intention of leaving them for new players to claim and lead to triumph. Let them fill the shoes of the giants that came before them instead of allowing more abject stagnation to occur.
Perhaps this will change things for the better. Perhaps it will not. All I know for certain is that my time as Sultan is over, and it is time for Finn Hamm to return to what he was meant to do - fight the Empires he swore to destroy instead of becoming what he despised the most.
The Partition[]
KEY:
Spain: All of north Africa, Haiti, and Djibouti (Purple)
Sweden: Arabian peninsula and parts of Indonesia (Navy blue)
Denmark: All non-north African or Djibouti Ottoman posessions and parts of Indonesia (peach)
Switzerland: Parts of Indonesia and Murzuq (Dark purple)
Austria: Afghanistan, the rest of Romania, parts of Indonesia, and all Caribbean islands apart from Haiti (Green)
Halle: The nation of Greece to do with as she pleases
Poland: The city of Mosul (not pictured) and East Jerusalem (to be split with Spain in the west) and parts of Indonesia (Pale green)
Holland: Palmyra (Light orange)
Britain: Shiraz (Black)
Portugal: Part of Indonesia (purple)
NEW VACANT STATES[]
Bosnia (Light blue)
Montenegro (White)
Serbia (Orange)
Bulgaria (Dark Red)
Turkey (Pink)
Syria (Gray)
Iraq (Brown)
Persia (Light Pink)
Turkestan (Lime)
Principality of Antioch (Teal)
Tripoli (Dark Brown)
Kingdom of Acre (Forest green, includes West Jerusalem, to be given directly to Cadet, not the Kingdom of Spain)
Free City of Belgrade
Sultanate of Cairo
Holy City of Mecca
Byzantium (City of Constantinople)
Islamic State of Aleppo
City of Baku
It is only natural that the great Kingdom of Spain embrace its Umayyad heritage and be gifted North Africa, as well as complete the island of Hispaniola. Additionally, King Ferdinand shall fittingly be directly gifted the Kingdom of Acre, including West Jerusalem, which he may rule as its enlightened despot or simply include in his new Empire.
I eagerly await to see how our new friends Sweden and Denmark perform as new colonial powers.
Switzerland shall be granted a tranquil slice of the Libyan desert.
Austria shall enjoy the landlocked nation of Afghanistan, and be granted further hegemony over the northern Balkans as well as enter the ranks of the colonial empires with their new lands in the Caribbean.
The Princess of Spain shall be granted her wish and enjoy Greece as her own sovereign kingdom, including Crete. May she lead it individually to greatness or place it under Spain's protection.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or as it is now called, the Eurasian Empire, shall be the watchful guardians of the ancient city of Mosul, as well as the caretakers of East Jerusalem.
Holland shall be granted what it desires most: a grand colony wrestled from the Ottomans, landlocked in the middle of the Syrian desert. It shall undoubtedly serve as an excellent transcontinental trading post.
Britain shall similarly enjoy a tiny slice of the new Persian state.
Finally, Portugal will no doubt be delighted to expand its grand empire.
And of course, many, many new states will be created, to be vied for by ambitious new world players. The Balkans shall be partitioned among many new nations. Syria, Iraq, Persia, and Turkestan shall enjoy freedom as new independent eastern states. Along the ancient Holy Land, many old Crusader states shall be revived, including the Kingdom of Acre. Additionally, many new citystates will be granted independence, including Byzantium, whose only territories include the entire city of Constantinople. The Islamic State of Aleppo will no doubt grow to be a major player in time. Finally, a new, independent Turkish state shall be created, including the former Ottoman territories in the Caucasus. Should any other Ottoman lands be unaccounted for in the partition, it shall go to this new Turkey.
My goal in all of this is simple. Peace, prosperity, and a healthy, diverse, international community. Let these new young nations find their places in the sun and perhaps even usher in a new era of intrigue - a brighter era, where more can enter the ring and prove themselves to be what no one ever thought they could be. Finn Hamm's time as Sultan is over. I wish all players - old and new - good luck. I wash my hands of the past and look optimistically towards the future: Though the caliphate is ashes, I believe a new fertile plain can grow where it once stood, and I intend on being part of it.
I remain,
Finn Hamm
"Let man's petty nations tear themselves apart; my land's only borders lie around my heart."