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Having reviewed the matter, the Ottoman Empire, having hosted the Conference of Constantinople, believes it must respond to this most shocking development in Europe. 

We are appalled by the savage, cold blooded murder perpetuated by Prussia and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Without warning or attempting negotiation with Belgium, they have attacked this peaceful nation, murdered its people and now stand waving the banner of peace and attempting to gain the moral high ground. The Ottoman Empire recognises who is in the right and who is in the wrong, and we do not believe any excuses made by the aggressors need be made, there is no excuse.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, with utter contempt for Europe-wide peace and disrespect for the ongoing negotiations at Turin concerning the Treaty of Constantinople, claim that the treaty has created tensions in Europe. We completely disagree. The only tensions created by the treaty are those which nations like the Netherlands created by spilling blood and revealing their crazed, expansionistic desires which were so threatened by the Treaty of Constantinople.

The Netherlands claims that the French and Belgians would never have agreed to surrender Flanders to the Netherlands. We would like to point out that the only nation in Europe which has willingly made territorial concessions for the sake of peace has been France, which surrendered Alsace-Lorraine to the German Confederation. The Netherlands’ claim that only military force could result in Flanders being transferred to the Netherlands is thus baseless and unfounded. If anything, France has proven it is more than willing to concede land for the sake of peace. However, those who wish for war need no excuse, and the fact such an excuse was made goes only to show the level of moral degeneration of the aggressors.

Having attacked Belgium and murdered her sons, the Netherlands’ pledge to King Leopold that they ‘wish him no harm’ is undermined. If the Netherlands truly wished Belgium no harm they would have initiated negotiations and discussed the issue, with Prussia as a neutral mediator, not a war-mongering supporter of one side over the other. We are quite frankly shocked by both Prussia’a and the Netherlands’ actions and request immediate withdrawal from Belgian lands, including Flanders. Further negotiations can be initiated once there has been a full withdrawal, else we shall call upon all signatories of the Treaty of Constantinople, as well as all those who support Article 1, to take drastic military measures to forcefully remove Dutch forces from Belgium, a measure we are most averse to taking. 

In regards to the Prussian hassling of Austria due to its professed neutrality, we would like to point Prussia towards the Treaty of Constantinople wherein it was agreed, and I quote, “It is hereby recognised by all the signatories that the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire shall act as neutral mediators in Europe when war threatens to erupt, and will do all in their power to uphold Article 1.”

Thus not only is Austria proudly neutral, but so too is Prussia, and it is for the German Confederation to see as is written here, in ink, and signed by Prussia, in clear, unmistakable writing.

[b]His Highness, Mehmed Emin Aali Pasha, Foreign Minister of the Ottoman Empire[/b]