Britain backed the Sultan only on condition Egypt declared independence.

Evidence

Nevertheless, and in spite of this clear position, when in November 1832 the Sultan requested British naval protection to defend Istanbul, Palmerston answered him four months later saying that Britain could not order the dispatch of the required squadron. This he was forced to do not out of lack of conviction, but because his colleagues in the cabinet thought that the navy could not be spared to leave the European theater of operations where it was needed to enforce economic sanctions against Holland. The Sultan therefore was left with no option other than to ask for Russian assistance. Palmerston’s worst fears came true: instead of seeing British ships in Istanbul, it was the Russian fleet that was allowed to moor there in February 1833. As if this was not enough Russia and the Ottoman Empire together signed the Hünkar Iskelesi Treaty in July which had a secret clause changing the traditional policy of the Porte of excluding all foreign ships from the Sea of Marmara, by excepting Russian ships from that stipulation. When informed about the treaty, Palmerston was enraged not so much about the secret clause as about the stipulation that both signatories consult each other before taking any step regarding foreign affairs. As far as Palmerston was concerned, this meant that “the Russian Ambassador becomes chief Cabinet minister to the Sultan.” It was this increased influence of Russia in Ottoman affairs that Palmerston was most apprehensive about. — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1574 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: British occupation displaced Ottoman authority and severed Egypt from its dependency the Sudan; Britain relinquished the Protectorate almost unconditionally; British refusal of naval aid pushed the Sultan into a Russian alliance in 1833 — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1574

Broader Connections

• Britain relinquished the Protectorate almost unconditionally #contradicts (0.75)
• British refusal of naval aid pushed the Sultan into a Russian alliance in 1833 #qualifies (0.40) — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 1574