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It is with the utmost sadness that we announce the death of His Highness, the Grand Vizier Mehmed Fuad Pasha, Prime Minister of the Empire for eight years. It was his wide stewardship that allowed for us to bring about constitutional reform and transform the Empire into a truly democratic state. It was his great diligence and love for his faith and nation that also allowed us to come through the worst of situations, most notably the recent war, with our heads held high and with us in true knowledge that we were victors. 

His successor will be Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha, the former Vizier of Aleppo and incumbent Minister of War, a man we believe to be suited to the task of governing this nation and somebody who will put his nation before anything else. Grand Vizier Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha has a large shadow to step out from, but we trust he will do his best.

[b]His Sacred and Imperial Majesty, Sultan Abdülaziz Khan, Emperor, Sovereign of the House of Osman, Sultan of Sultans, Khan of Khans, 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, Emperor of The Three Cities of Constantinople, Adrianople and Bursa, and of the Cities of Damascus and Cairo, of all Azerbaijan, of the Magreb, of Barca, of Kairouan, of Aleppo, of the Arabic and the Persian Iraq, of Basra, of Al-Hasa strip, of Ar Raqqah, of Mosul, of Diyarbakır, of Cilicia, of the provinces of Erzurum, of Sivas, of Adana, of Karaman, Van, of Barbara, of Abyssinia, of Tunisia, of Tripoli-of-the-West (Tripolitania), of Sham, of Cyprus, of Rhodes, of Crete, of the province of Morea, of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and also their coasts, of Anatolia, Rumelia, Baghdad, Kurdistan, Greece, Turkistan, Tartary, Circassia, of the two regions of Kabarda, of Georgia, of the steppe of Kypchaks, of the whole realm of the Tatars, of Kefe and of all the neighboring regions, of Bosnia, of the City and Fort of Belgrade, of the province of Serbia, with all the castles and cities, of all Albania, of all Eflak and Bogdania, as well as all the dependencies and borders, and many other countries and cities.[/b]

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[i]Prime Minister’s First Address to the Meclis-i Umumi (General Assembly) of the Ottoman Empire[/i]

It is most definitely true that we should mourn the passing of such a great man as the late Prime Minister, but we should also celebrate him and his legacy, like His Sacred and Imperial Majesty said, he must be remembered for his part in the development of a constitutional monarchy in this nation and for our great strength and unity during a war that could have proven devastating for us.

Looking forward and continuing with his legacy and ideals I will endeavor to strengthen ties with the other nations of Islam, to promote peace and most importantly to ensure that our great nation prospers.

[b]His Highness, Grand Vizier Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha, Prime Minister and Minister of War[/b]