Abdulmecid: Good morning gentlemen, best wishes for the new year. I believe we have a lot to discuss. The current status of the empire - Why is there a camera crew present?Resad Muhlis Bey: For the past year our treasury has looked for ways to balance the budget. The best idea they could come up with is starting our own reality show, which will be broadcasted in movie theatres and on the radio through the world.Abdulmecid: What? You do realise all of our enemies will be able to spy on us non stop?Resad Muhlis Bey: Our enemies are already spying on us non-stop. Do you have any idea how corrupt our government is?Abdulmecid: Of course, I'm the sultan.Resad Muhlis Bey: Well then, you should know our intelligence agency has more holes in it then the average French soldier at Verdun. With the show we're at least making some money out of it. Besides, if our enemies love the show they won't kill all of us.Abdulmecid: (sights) All right then, but please tell me we're at least making a decent amount of money.Resad Muhlis Bey: Enough to balance the budget for at least four years. Allthough realisticly, after corruption expenses, around six months.Abdulmecid: Six months?!?!Resad Muhlis Bey: The best alternative was turning Kostantiniyye into an amusement park.Abdulmecid: Allright then, those rollercoasters would be annoying as hell. The reality show is a go. But since it's your idea you are the first to introduce yourself to our audience.Resad Muhlis Bey: My name is Resad Muhlis Bey and I'm the minister of economy of the Ottoman Empire.Resad Muhlis Bey: As a Keynesian Economist I keep a hands off approach where possible. By limiting the state influence over the economy I have decreased the amount of state owned factories needed for the production of consumer goods, allthough our production and resource gains are a little suboptimal as a side effect. Also, our hands off approach means more political power, as we give the people less reason to hate us.Abdulmecid: So, less factories required for consumers goods means more factories for the military?Resad Muhlis Bey: Onfortunately not, we still suffer for the OPDA payments which take up 30% of our consumer goods to pay back foreign nations, especially Germany. By focussing on our foreign affairs for 70 days and then on the OPDA payments for another 70 days we can reduce the consumer goods required by declaring default to some of the smaller states we own money. But for Germany and Austria we need to wait untill they're at war with someone else as they're actually capable of marching to Kostantiniyye and take what they need by force.Resad Muhlis Bey:Abdulmecid: 30 percent?!?!? Whe're being bled dry like one of their colonies without getting their protection. Why don't we just ask Germany to just turn us into one of their puppet states?Resad Muhlis Bey: We did. They refused.Abdulmecid: YOU WHAT?!?!?Resad Muhlis Bey: We had to look at all the options, compared to the amusement park being a colony doesn't sound so bad.Abdulmecid: I can't believe you would just sell of our beloved empire. We're lucky the Kaiser loves and respects the empire more then you, you ungratefull swine.Ali Fuad Pasha: Actually that's not the reason Kaiser Wilhelm refused, he was simply out of cousins to put on foreign thrones.Abdulmecid: You're unbelieveble. Just tell our audience who you are.Ali Fuad Pasha: I'm Ali Fuad Pasha, foreign minister of the Ottman Empire. Which is an awesome job because I get all the best bribes from foreign diplomats.Abdulmecid: Bribes? Why am I not surprised?Ali Fuad Pasha: If you want to attack someone, I'm your man. Of course we will need any political power to start justifying war with anyone. Also, if we had any form of industry I could speed up the construction of land forts.Abdulmecid: Sounds like you're pretty useless right now. At least tell our viewers something about our foreign affairs.Ali Fuad Pasha: Allright, let's look at the map of our region:Ali Fuad Pasha: Our largest neighbor is the Sultanate of Egypt. They hate us and want to conquer parts of our land. To the southeast lies Hashemite Arabia. They hate us and want to conquer parts of our land. To the east lies Persia, they hate us and want to conquer parts of our land.Abdulmecid: Anyone who doesn't hate us?Ali Fuad Pasha: The Armenians don't hate us after the genocide whe didn't commit during the Weltkrieg. We did install a puppet government there who has to love us. Our other Caucasian neighbor is Georgia. The bad news is they are taken over by the complete whackjob socialist dictator Beria, the guy gives me the creeps.Abdulmecid: I don't think he will be a threat. How about the balkans?Ali Fuad Pasha: Our direct neighbor Bulgaria hates us, but they hate Greece, Serbia and Romania a lot more so they're our most likely ally in the region. Also, after the Weltkrieg we have gained Albania and Tripolitania. But because we have no land connection with both states we have just installed some puppet governments in there.Abdulmecid: All right. We should conquer Hashemite Arabia as soon as possible to prevent our neigbors from forming a united front against us.Mehmed Esad Pasha: I'm afraid that's not possible. We have a negative 298 political power, meaning even thinking of war may cause our government to collapse.Abdulmecid:Mehmed Esad Pasha: I'm the minister of interior of the Ottoman Empire. This is basically the worst job in the world because all I do all day is bribing people not to revolt.Mehmed Esad Pasha: Aside from the shitty economy the Arabs and Kurds still hate us and want independance. After the Weltkrieg we gained Cyprus, most of it's inhabitants hate us and want independance. Meaning I have to play police chief all day.Abdulmecid: How can we gain more political power?Mehmed Esad Pasha: Well, we just have to wait and hope we don't screw up to much.Abdulmecid: Unacceptable. I am the sultan. I should have unlimited power. Enought to declare war and make peace, make laws as I please, disband the parliament if they dare try to stop me and fire any judge I don't like.Mehmed Esad Pasha: How would you think of gaining such power?Abdulmecid: Hold a referendum where the people give me unlimited power.Mehmed Esad Pasha: I don't think the people are stupid enough to vote for such a law.Abdulmecid: Never underestimate the stupidity of the people.Mehmed Esad Pasha: Even if they are stupid most of them still hate us and want independence.Abdulmecid: (sights) Never mind. how is the state of the military?Mehmed Esad Pasha: Mustafa Kemal Pasha can tell you all about it.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: Greetings dear viewers. My name is Mustafa Kemal Pasha. As the chief of staff I'm responsible for leading the empire's military.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: Currently our active land forces are comprised of 37 divisions. For comparison; Bulgaria is estimated to have 12 to 23 and Egypt and Persia have 8 to 12 each.Abdulmecid: That doesn't sound so bad.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: However, there is a shortage of infantry equipment which puts our army at an estimated 65% fighting strengt.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: We currently have 7 military factories. For comparison; Egypt has 4, Persia has 3 and Bulgaria has 8.Abdulmecid:Mustafa Kemal Pasha: Our priority should be to build more factories to equip our soldiers.Resad Muhlis Bey: Just today I gave the order to build a new military factory in Konia, all available industry will be committed to it. We estimate it will be ready on May 26.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: Excellent.Resad Muhlis Bey: 2018.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: ........Resad Muhlis Bey: You could send your army to conquer some other countries with decent industry.Mustafa Kemal Pasha: No, we can't because there is no political power. And even if we could our troops are insufficiently equipped.Abdulmecid: Sounds like we're pretty stuk. Huseyin, do you have any ideas?Huseyin Avni Pasha: No.Abdulmecid: (Sights) At least tell our viewers who you are and what you do as head of government.Huseyin Avni Pasha: My name is Huseyin Avni Pasha. I am the head of government of the Ottoman Empire.Abdulmecid: Tell our viewers what you do all day. by the way, what do you do all day?Huseyin Avni Pasha: I pray the Empire doesn't collapse.Abdulmecid: Really, you think that'll work?Huseyin Avni Pasha: It has worked so far.Abdulmecid: I really should fire all of you.Mehmed Esad Pasha: You can't. That would require some political power.Abdulmecid: (Sights) That's enough for now. If I don't kill myself out of frustration we will be back this afternoon to discuss our general strategy.