An Ottoman possession in the Caribbean?

Thande

Donor
(I admit this was mainly sparked by me wondering how you could make "Turks and Caicos Islands" become literal...)

We've previously discussed on here how it's very unlikely that the Ottoman Empire could have had a proper settler colony in the mainland Americas, being so far from their centre of power, having nothing to gain lacking the same Eastern trade motivations as European powers, etc.

However, how about a Caribbean sugar plantation island? That trade would still be valuable to Constantinople and it would not require so much of an investment. If Courland can do it...
 
(I admit this was mainly sparked by me wondering how you could make "Turks and Caicos Islands" become literal...)

We've previously discussed on here how it's very unlikely that the Ottoman Empire could have had a proper settler colony in the mainland Americas, being so far from their centre of power, having nothing to gain lacking the same Eastern trade motivations as European powers, etc.

However, how about a Caribbean sugar plantation island? That trade would still be valuable to Constantinople and it would not require so much of an investment. If Courland can do it...
Isn't the biggest problem for the Ottomans Spain, who was almost permenantly antagonist against the Ottomans? The Ottomans must escape the mediterranian through the straigths of Gibraltar, which the Spanish will try to prevent. Not a very easy way to establish colonies. Going around Africa would probably too much trouble for just some sugar island. I think that the most likely way for the Ottomans to gain some colonies in the America's is to own part of the west coast of Africa. If Morocco becomes part of the ottoman Empire, I think it is possible.
 
Maybe if they could subject the interior of N Africa to direct rule, but why would they bother ?

Or they hold onto Indian Ocean possessions, and then across to the Americas...and er, wrong side !

Or Spain never unifies, or fragments, and then Ottoman trade can get there...?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Isn't the biggest problem for the Ottomans Spain, who was almost permenantly antagonist against the Ottomans? The Ottomans must escape the mediterranian through the straigths of Gibraltar, which the Spanish will try to prevent. Not a very easy way to establish colonies. Going around Africa would probably too much trouble for just some sugar island. I think that the most likely way for the Ottomans to gain some colonies in the America's is to own part of the west coast of Africa. If Morocco becomes part of the ottoman Empire, I think it is possible.
They could also reinforce Granada thus providing a naval outpost from which to keep the straight open and launch expeditions to the New World.

I wonder what the social organization will be like. Ottoman style slavery was very different from the form most of us think of in the New World and I believe the point has been brought up before that the Ottomans aren't likely to put major resources towards Ottomanizing the natives.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
Maybe you could have the Ottomans come to dominate Morocco (as much if not more) as they did the other Barbary states. This gives them ready access to the Atlantic that's not dependent on using the Straits.
 
It seems to me that if the Ottomans want sugar, Egypt is a whole lot easier than setting up colonies in the New World.

Caribbean possessions are possible if Spain is absorbed into the empire - still, it seems unlikely that they would be able to hold onto anything, unless maybe an Island is wholly Islamized, or settled with Turks after some demographic catastrophe.
 
I could see the Turks starting a colonial war in the Indian Ocean which would have a huge effect on Europe. If their experiences fighting the Portuguese resulted in major Ottoman ocean-going fleets that Ottoman expansion into India, Africa and Southeast Asia could happen far earlier than the distant European powers.
 
It seems to me that if the Ottomans want sugar, Egypt is a whole lot easier than setting up colonies in the New World.

Caribbean possessions are possible if Spain is absorbed into the empire - still, it seems unlikely that they would be able to hold onto anything, unless maybe an Island is wholly Islamized, or settled with Turks after some demographic catastrophe.

I think that we don't need as far as an Ottoman Spain just to have Ottoman presence in Carribean, just a comfortable access via Gibraltar strait, which would require the absence of a power as strong as OTL united Spain.
 

Valdemar II

Banned
The primary reason for a Caribbean possesion is for growing sugar cane, the Ottomans had South Iraq which was much more useful for that. So they lack a reason for gaining such a possesion.
 
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