Baština (Jan 2019)
Sultan's journey through old Serbia and Macedonia
Abstract
Dissatisfaction of the Albanian population in Old Serbia and Macedonia during 1910 and 1911 turned into open conflicts with Turkish authorities. These conflicts resulted in a large number of wounded and killed, and a lot of houses were burnt and destroyed. Turkish authorities, knowing that the Albanians represent a fortress in the preservation of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, decided to organize a sultan's visit to this part of the state. The visit represents the achievement of the idea of Youth Turkish Committee which had the intention to calm down the Albanian population from one side, and to avoid the interference of great powers in internal questions of the state from another side. During his seventy days journey through Old Serbia and Macedonia Sultan visited Thessaloniki, Skopje, Priština and Bitolj, where he was receiving religious and civil representatives of all nationalities including the representatives of foreign countries in those places. Preparation which were done for the arrival of Sultan supposed, among other things, the participation of the Serbs. The presence of the Serbian military delegation in Thessaloniki was for Turks the expression of peaceful politics of the Kingdom of Serbia toward Ottoman Empire. Sultan's visit to Old Serbia and Macedonia and touring of Murat's turbet, where the decree on amnesty of all political culprits being in the country or outside was read, did not completely satisfy the Albanians. Their dissatisfaction affected Serbs the most. The Albanian fury increased every day and the requests multiplied. They included the appointment of the Albanians for administrative, military and judicial officers in the areas where they live, doing military service in their country, opening of schools in "the whole Albania" in which the teaching process will be conducted in Albanian language with Latin alphabet, building of roads and railways through Albania. These requests openly led toward the autonomy and creation of new state, which will come true after the First Balkan War in 1912 with dedication of Austria-Hungary and Italy.
