The protection of merchants on foreign shores.
The Times of Merchants
The resurgence of the Italian Peninsula on the World's Prominence never thought to occur since the days of the Roman Empire spooked a lot of people of different groups across the known world.
With the Italian Navy wrecking havoc against those who tried to plunder and enslave many of Italy's people, the Arabian and European (and Asian) slavers and berserkers were forced to go on land – or risk their business becoming bust with the enslaved people liberated and brought to Italy for what they proclaim as "to bring them to glimpse and practice the Rebirth of the World's Brain and Wonder".
However, the Northern African and Middle East trade routes became treacherous. With many of the operations destroyed by the Italians, they want to perform revenge against their people and merchants to steal its wealth on the trade routes.
Such an incident occurred as an Italian caravan (or what's left of it) flees from the site with everything and every weapon they have on hand.
"Ai! Those bastards!" One of the Italian Merchants speaks to the other with scorn in his voice. "'Taxation'? More like Money-stealing!"
"What's the nearest Ottoman outpost!" His partner cries out in anger.
At first, the Ottoman Outpost laughed and arrested the Merchants and placed them in the City of Antioch to 'keep it quiet from the Italians'..just like the rest of the other traders from Italy that are trapped in the City.
It was fortunate for these souls that Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent arrived in the city for his yearly tours around the Ottoman Empire.
Suleiman walks along with his security guard to where the mayor of the City said to be a welcoming surprise that will 'Benefit the Ottoman Empire and take its Revenge!' So far, he wasn't seeing much changes in Antioch. Once a great fortress city that guarded the Eastern Roman Empire from any invasions coming from the Arabian Peninsula and the Persians..now becoming a simple outpost.
He couldn't help but shake his head, the Mamluks are trying to get their land in the Holy Lands returned with their current campaign.
It came as a shock to the Young Ruler to be bridled into a war quite quickly after the Italians defeated the Ottoman Empire..especially with the Mamluks who saw then a great time to invade as the Sultanate became weakened.
Fools, a lot of them! They forgot the Italians won their war through Naval Victories, not on Land!
So it didn't come to a surprise that the Ottoman Army, after being returned from the Italian regions after the war, defeated the Mamluks battle after battle in a quick turn of events..unfortunately the current economic hiccups caused them to stop and request for a ceasefire (that is likely to be rejected by the time he returns to Constantinople).
It was after finishing these thoughts that the Ottoman Sultan arrived to find..
"W-WHAT IS THIS?!" He thunders at the smiling mayor of Antioch.
"A Gift, Your Highness!" The Mayor speaks out with enthusiasm. "We can demand the Italians to pay back the Money they stole in exchange for the return of their Merchants!"
After a body dropped out of the Sultan's orders for execution on accounts of "Treason", the Sultan then ordered for the Italian merchants to be freed and head back home to Europe..with some consolation bribes to appease any of them and a garrison of the Sultan's most elite Janissary Troops to guard them as if they were their own children back to their home.
Once returned back to Konstantiniyye (and rolling his eyes at finding a rejection to his request for ceasefire from the Mamluk invaders), he wrote and declared a decree that merchants from the Italian Peninsula are to be given the most focus of protection out of any other Merchants entering and exiting the Empire.
For while the Empire may still be standing, the Italian Navy is still waiting for another chance to strike if any of their people are hurt over and in the seas.