Video - The British Betrayal: Ottoman Textile Espionage

However, the British betrayed the Ottoman Empire in exchange for rights such as trade privileges and tax reductions in Ottoman lands. They began to provoke the non-Muslim citizens in Anatolia and Rumelia against the state. A document regarding this is the letter written by Sultan Ahmed I to Queen Elizabeth I of England. In his letter to the Queen, the Sultan said; After it was stated that the ambassador who was reported to be sent would be more respected than expected and would be granted the sultan's favor, it was recommended that some British merchants caused various mischief in the Ottoman country, that those who committed such unfriendly acts should be punished accordingly, and that future ones should be warned not to engage in similar schemes. Considering that the British attempted to corrupt the citizens of the Ottoman Empire less than 25 years after gaining commercial privileges and that the merchants who would come here were determined by the Queen herself, it is understood that these activities were carried out in an organized manner. In addition, these merchants and members of the British embassy were also carrying out a kind of industrial espionage on the Ottoman textile industry. In particular, information such as the raw materials of the dyes of Ottoman fabrics, which were number one in the world with their quality, how they were prepared, and the manufacturing stages of the fabrics, were secretly sent to England. That's why, starting from the 18th century, British fabrics produced with Ottoman technology began to be sold as the highest quality fabrics in Europe.