Events

The Ottoman Sultan has requested the presence of Prince Milos at the Palace in Istanbul, with the intent of renewing the vows of fealty and to hear out his subject - especially with the rebellious Ali in Egypt and the Greek state stirring up trouble in the region.

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Milos dismissed the messenger who had informed him of the summons from Istanbul.

Objectively speaking, he does have his hands full dealing with the popular figure that is Aleksandar Karađorđević vying for the throne. Sending his son, Milan, to liaison with the Ottoman court would be a strategic move considering the circumstances. This is what he would explain to his court - who did not necessarily view Istanbul with much trust - but the other reason (which Milos would never admit to) was the worry over his sons health. It was in a state which Milos knew deep down that there was not a single person in Serbia who could figure out how to treat his son, but Istanbul was a different story.

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The Serbian delegation sent to the Ottoman capital was small and arrived a week from the summons without much difficulty. It consisted of the heir apparent, Milan, the minster of foreign affairs, Petar Jovanović and two attendants who joined them.
Upon setting eyes on Istanbul, Milan drew one of the deepest breaths he had in a long time, the architecture and visible history on each of the builds enthralled him, they are beautiful! He felt a little better already. Petar dragged Milan out of his daydream and into the Ottoman court.

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Once deliberation began; things moved rather smoothly.

Ottoman talking points:

• Demand fealty from their subject
• Defending against the rebellious Greeks & Egyptians
• Pursuing stability of the Empire
  • Reinforcing the "Peace at home, Peace in the world" philosophy in all corners of the Empire
  • Permitting the unification of Eastern & Western Serbia
• Reduction of institutional religious discrimination
  • Depending on the commitment and success of Serbia, territorial compensation is on the table
    • Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia

Serbian talking points:

• Seek support against the popular Karađorđević house which threatens the current sitting dynasty.
  • Empowering the legitimacy of the Obrenović house.
• Building stronger ties between Belgrade and Istanbul
  • From both an Economic and Diplomatic perspective
• To a lesser degree, pursue the interests of important prominent citizens.
  • Gligorije wants to invest in the resources (coal) of Eastern Serbia and Kosovo.

Resolution:

• Trust is built between Liege and Subject
  • A vow of loyalty from Serbia to the Ottomans
• Territorial rewards in the form of the unification of Eastern and Western Serbia
• Explicit support for the Obrenović house against the Karađorđević house
• Military support from Serbia when required
  • Bolstering of the Serbian Army
• Commitment from Serbia to reduce institutional religious discrimination
  • Further possible territorial compensation based on the success of the court
• Milan stays in Istanbul for the time being
• Sweets for Milan (and the rest of the Serbian court)

"How delightful!"
- Milan Obrenović