Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies is an Istanbul-based journal aiming at strengthening academic exchange among social scientists from Turkey, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Eastern European countries. We started the journal in 2018 and have published six issues until now. The sixth issue includes three research articles and a special issue consisting of six articles.
The special issue on “Powershifts, Practices and Memories of Violence in the Balkans” focuses on the problematic of violence in the Balkans during the “short” 20th century. Military occupations during the World Wars and repressive policies of militarist or socialist regimes in the Balkans caused countless human sufferings. Following an introduction by Prof. Dr. Nathalie Clayer (Paris) five authors deal with this problematic in this issue: Jovo Miladinović (Berlin), Dr. Franziska Zaugg (Bern), Dr. Paolo Fonzi (Vercelli), Dr. Isabel Ströhle (The Hague) and Dr. Danilo Šarenac (Belgrade). I would like to thank Dr. Franziska Zaugg and Jovo Miladinović for the preparation of this valuable thematic issue and for their collaboration with us.
The first article of the issue 6 titled “Bulgaria’s Secret Empire: An Ultimatum to North Macedonia” by Dr. Tomasz Kamusella discusses the Bulgarian political attitude towards the Republic of North Macedonia. The author analyses the political tensions between two countries within perspective of nationalism and Bulgarian national motives in the region.
The second article of the issue 6 titled “The Problems of Studying Ottoman Heritage in Serbia” by Miloš Todorović deals with the Serbian historiography on the Ottoman Empire and the Ottoman heritage in Serbia. He shows that although there are numerous studies dealing with the Ottoman period of the Serbian history there are still obstacles to study the Ottoman heritage because of a general negative attitude towards the Ottoman past.
The third and last research article of the issue 6 titled “Kosovo: From the Ottoman Empire through Yugoslavia to Independence” by Dr. Sylë Ukshini provides an overview on the historical background and emergence of the Republic of Kosovo from an Albanian perspective.
The issue also includes one book review. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu’s book titled The House of Sciences: The First Modern University in the Muslim World (Oxford University Press, 2019) was reviewed by Prof. Dr. Tuncay Zorlu.
I would like to thank the editorial board members of our journal, especially Cengiz Yolcu, for their hard work and contributions to this issue. I also thank the authors of the articles and all the referees for their precious efforts during the evaluation process of the articles.
Mehmet Hacısalihoğlu, Prof. Dr. Editor in Chief
Special Issue Articles
Powershifts, Practices and Memories of Violence in the Balkans pp. 11–150
Introduction to the Special Issue:
Powershifts, Practices and Memories of Violence in the Balkans Nathalie Clayer, Prof. Dr., CNRS/EHESS, Paris pp. 13–18
“Justice” or an Orchestrated Trial? The Lifeworld of Ferhad Bey Draga, the Lawsuit against Him, and the Local Communities in Mitrovica in the late 1920s Jovo Miladinović, M.A., Humboldt University pp. 19–49
“Un centro d’intrighi”: The Tainted Collaboration of the Axis Powers in the Borderlands of “Greater Albania” Franziska Zaugg, Dr. phil., Department of History, University of Bern pp. 51–72
Political Violence in a Borderland. The Region of Kastoria under Italian Occupation (1941–1943) Paolo Fonzi, Dr. phil., Researcher in Contemporary History University of Eastern Piedmont pp. 73–97
The Yugoslav State Security Service and Physical Violence in Socialist Kosovo Isabel Ströhle, Dr. phil., The Hague pp. 99–126
The Rediscovery of the Serbian Great War Veterans in Socialist Yugoslavia (1970–1989). The Case of Momčilo Gavrić, the Boy Soldier Danilo Šarenac, Dr. phil., Institute for Contemporary History, Belgrade pp. 127–150
Articles of the Issue 6
Bulgaria’s Secret Empire: An Ultimatum to North Macedonia Tomasz Kamusella, Ph.D., University of St Andrews pp. 151–206
The Problems of Studying Ottoman Heritage in Serbia Miloš Todorović, PhD. cand., University of Belgrade pp. 207–230
Kosovo: From the Ottoman Empire through Yugoslavia to Independence Sylë Ukshini, Dr. phil., Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kosovo pp. 231–277
Book Reviews
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, The House of Sciences: The First Modern University in the Muslim World, Oxford University Press, 2019. Tuncay Zorlu, Prof. Dr., Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Science and Letters pp. 279–282