Grand Vizier Omar frowned deeply and finally voiced what he had long wanted to say.
"Where exactly did all those loans from Britain and France go? No money for military reform, no money for economic reform, merchants can't get loans, the New Army has no money, the government has no money—why, we even have to scrape together money at the last minute to pay the Russians' debts.
Where did our money go?"
No one answered, but the Grand Vizier had long known the answer in his heart.
"The number of new artillery pieces and modern rifles procured for the New Army is less than a third of the order agreed upon with the British. British arms dealers have come knocking at our door!"
The Grand Vizier's words brought fine beads of cold sweat to Ahmed Yilmaz's forehead, and he could not stop himself from backing away.
But Omar had no intention of letting his former subordinate off. He continued questioning him.
"Why are our soldiers still carrying obsolete flintlock muskets? Why do students at the officer academy complain that they cannot get paid? Why do soldiers freeze to death in the mountains every year for lack of winter clothing?"
Ahmed Yilmaz swallowed.
"Grand Vizier, not all that money was spent on our New Army! We received only a small portion of it!
But I have clear records of where every bit of the money spent on the New Army went!
Please investigate thoroughly!"
Omar then turned to the Finance Minister beside him. Defterdar immediately began to stammer.
"Grand Vizier, you know that the Ottoman Empire still has many old debts to repay.
Those debts mainly come from domestic merchants, European bankers, and the support extended to us by various families."
"Borrowing new money to repay old debts? Then where exactly