مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Some Observations About the Political Problems Between the Ottoman Empire and Serbia During the World War I (1914-1918)

Abstract :

The relations between the Ottoman-Serbs date back to 14th century. The relations between the two countries gained a different dimension with the declaration of Serbia’s independence in 1878. The Balkan Wars were an important turning point in the Ottoman-Serbian relations. Because after these wars the Ottoman Empire left a significant portion of its lands in the Balkan to the Balkan states. As a result, the most important issue between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire was the protection of the Muslims’ rights in the abandoned area. Indeed, with signing the Istanbul Agreement on March 14, 1914 these problems were tried to be resolved. However, the start of the World War I which happened immediately after the Balkan War and the fact that these states took part in the World War I as opponents made the political relations difficult once again. In this context, the diplomatic relations between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire ended officially on November 1, 1914. The relationship between two sides was forced to carry on with mediator states in that period. During the war the relations which remained at a low level brought some crises. In this study; the political relations will be discussed between Serbia and the Ottoman Empire during the World War I. In this context, the influence of the mediator states’ role conducting the relations, the diplomatic tensions experienced in the first month of the war and the oppressions against the Muslims on the Ottoman-Serbian relations is aimed to be put forward. The documents of the Prime Ministry’s Ottoman Archives will form the main source of the research.