Rina Oh, one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, revealed in her court testimony Epstein's deep obsessions with Topkapi Palace and the Ottoman Empire. She stated that Epstein saw her as part of his harem and called her his "favorite."
According to Rina Oh, Epstein also claimed he would be her "mentor." During their conversations, which lasted approximately two years, he constantly referred to a third person whom he called "Sultan," but Oh knew this was Epstein himself.
Epstein tried to make his victim see the world through the lens of concepts like harem and palace. He was obsessed with the Ottoman Empire and constantly talked about it, also demanding that Rina Oh study artworks, architectural structures, palaces, and the stories of women in the Ottoman harem. Epstein was particularly obsessed with Topkapi Palace and wanted her to thoroughly research its architecture, culture, and history.