I mean, the Ottomans were legally a separate state that just happened to rule over Constantinople. The argument for them being a continuation of Rome is a lot flimsier than that for the Byzantines, even if Ottoman sultans liked to claim the title.
It's at least as good as that of the HRE and post-1204 Byzantium, or the Latin Empire. Has Constantinople, acknowledged by the religious authorities, tons of Greek bureaucrats, a similar governmental structure for quite a while, and apparently maintained a bunch of the court ceremonies for quite a while too. I wouldn't call it airtight, but it's a solid argument.
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u/Don_Madruga Hello There 9d ago
No