Ottoman statesmen recognized European naval superiority as early as the sixteenth century

Evidence

A few years later, Lutfi Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Suleyman the Magnificent, raised the matter again with his sovereign, and told him: “Of the previous Sultans, there were many who ruled the land, but few who ruled the sea. In the conduct of war at sea, the infidels are superior to us. We must overcome them.” — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 678 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Ottoman leaders publicly conceded European naval superiority by the mid-1500s. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting…, 678; European ocean-going vessels outmatched Ottoman fleets by carrying heavier armament; The Ottomans considered a Suez canal but were outmatched by European naval power — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting…, 598 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Ottoman leaders publicly conceded European naval superiority by the mid-1500s. #corroborates (0.95) — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 678