Author: Prof.as.dr. Hasan Bello. Translation: Petrit Latifi
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the Ottoman Empire, unlike the Albanians, the Serbian nationality enjoyed some specific rights, such as the right to be educated in their native language and organization on the basis of church-school communes that were financed directly by Serbia.
The Serbian population used the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 to expand their organizations and school network; to establish printing presses, publish magazines and newspapers, which aimed to strengthen their hegemony over the Albanians, Bulgarians, Greeks and other minorities in the European part of the Ottoman Empire.
In order to consolidate this policy in accordance with the new circumstances, representatives of the Serbian community in the vilayets of Thessaloniki, Manastir and Kosovo organized a joint meeting in Skopje from 23 to 26 August 1908. This was done with the approval of the Committee of the “Union and Progress” party, which tried to use all nationalities for its own interests.
At this meeting, the “Serbian People’s Organization of Ottoman Serbs” was established, which had its branches in the mentioned vilayets and its organ, the newspaper “Vardar”, which was published in Skopje. This organization aimed to impose on the Ottoman government, with the support of Belgrade, the official recognition of Serbian nationality; to increase the number of Serbian civil servants in the Ottoman state administration and to nominate its candidates in the parliamentary elections.
On the other hand, it aimed to use them to encourage the Young Turks to disarm the Albanian population in Kosovo, considering this a necessary measure for maintaining order and peace. In fact, it intended to use the Ottoman army and administration against the Albanians. These actions were in accordance with the foreign policy of Serbia, which directed this organization behind the scenes.
The leaders of the organization of Ottoman Serbs, in close cooperation with the consuls of Serbia in Pristina, Skopje and Thessaloniki, held several meetings with representatives of the Young Turk Committee and several high-ranking officials of the Ottoman administration. On September 19, 1908, in Skopje, a joint agreement was reached between them, according to which the Serbian organization would have its deputies in the sandjak of Skopje, Pristina and Prizren.
Therefore, it did not need to conduct an electoral campaign at all. To achieve this objective, it had to support the candidates of the Young Turk Committee and, on the other hand, hinder Albanian nationalists.
The activity of the Ottoman Serbs also extended to propaganda, using its press organs. The commander of the military expedition, Xhavit Pasha, who came to Kosovo to establish order, justified the action and repressive measures against the Albanian population allegedly with the difficult position of the Serbs. The Foreign Ministry in Belgrade justified his actions with the “oppression of the Albanians” against the Serbian element.
The organization of the Ottoman Serbs used its organs and the influence it had among the Young Turks to further ignite the fire that erupted against the Albanian alphabet and Albanian patriots.
The Serbian political and diplomatic intrigue to instrumentalize the Young Turk Revolution and the Ottoman government against the Albanian nation in the years 1908-1912 worked. The organization of Ottoman Serbs and the Serbian community in Kosovo, Skopje and Thessaloniki also played a role in this.
Reference
Balkan Academia 