Naval-supremacy empires could only encroach at imperial margins

Evidence

Britain and France managed to gain a colonial foothold in parts of the region. From a strict political view it would be nonsensical to speak of the actual history over the past few centuries as well managed. Up until the end of the Ottoman empire, it can hardly be said that this region was controlled on puppet strings by European powers. British and French encroachments [were] at the margins, as [befits] empires built on naval supremacy. — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 213