Since the bcginning of the 19th century, the territories of theOttoman Empire have been a bone of contention for the Great Powers. Theso-called "sick man of Europc" had occupied the thoughts of numerousstatesmen in Europe. The Balkans attracted the Russians and Austrians whileEgypt and the Levant had always whetted British and French appetites. Butthe rifts existing among those povvers and the diplomatic maneuvers of thePorte saved the Empire from annihilation. If the Porte had any capacity tomanipulate the outcome of events, it was indeed, as Ahmet Şükrü Esmer(1947) aptly claimed, grounded on the question of the Straits