Balkan Wars in 100th Anniversary

Balkan countries are coming together in Istanbul for 5^th International Balkan Forum under the theme “Conflict Preventing, Peace and Welfare Vision“

Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM) is organizing 5^th International Balkan Forum under the title “Balkan Wars in 100^th Anniversary: Conflict Preventing, Peace and Welfare Vision“ on 26^th and 27^th April 2012. Forum will be attended by academics, experts, government representatives, bureaucrats, diplomats and journalists from 13 countries which 11 of them are Balkan countries. Various representatives from Turkey will be participating and Deputy Prime Minister Bekir BOZDAĞ is expected to make a keynote speech.

In the Forum, It is aimed to discuss not only the political and economical results of Balkan Wars; but also the effect of change and transformation of Balkan states due to Balkan Wars on daily lives of the inhabitants of Balkans. Also preventing ongoing and future conflicts and maintaining peace in the region will be discussed.

7 sessions will be carried out during the forum. These sessions are “The end of the Ottoman Period in the Balkans and Disintegration: Multidimensional Analysis of Balkan Upheavals“, “The Development of Nationalism and Irredentism in Balkan Politics: National Identity, Symbolic Borders and Traditions“, “The Consequences of Modernity in the Balkans: Politics of Homogenization and the Issue of Minorities“, “Communism in the Balkans and After: Political Violence, Disengagement and Civil Wars“, “Towards a New Order in the Balkans: The Period after Civil War and Transition to Democracy“, “Balkans in the Global Era: Scenarios and Policies for Future“, “Religious Fundamentalism and Ethnical Peace in the Balkans: The Case of Bulgaria“.

Şensoy: “Cooperation is needed in order to strengthen peace and welfare at Balkans“

TASAM chairman Süleyman Şensoy mentioned that the ideas of nationalism and nation state reached to Balkans in the beginning of 19^th century. Economic and political changes that had occurred in global and regional level had begun to shape the Balkans. Şensoy emphasized; although Balkan states gained their independence after the Balkan Wars; conflicts among these states had continued until at the end of 1990s.

Şensoy also said: “Wars bring to mind the fields of war, the victories and the defeats. Yet, the realities of wars should be searched within the daily lives that were ruined because of war, within the fear of losing loved ones and within the pains that the ordinary people in the background suffer because of wars. We believe that rather than evaluating the consequences of Balkan Wars predominantly as a political event, one should also seek to find out how the daily lives of Balkan peoples have been influenced by this War. As TASAM our goal is to contribute in eliminating the mentality fostered by nationalism, political violence and civil war within the 100 years following the Balkan Wars, to accelerate the integration to EU, to reinforce economic cooperation and inter-societal communication, and most, importantly to conduce in paving the way for the process of overcoming both the mental barriers that have occurred due to fascist thoughts during the civil war years and the physical barriers, therefore in accelerating the process from Balkan Wars to Balkan Peace.“

The effects of Balkan Wars on nowadays will be discussed in the forum

5^th International Balkan Forum will be starting with opening speeches on 26^th April 2012 Thursday in Ortaköy Princess Hotel, İstanbul. The reason and the consequences of Balkan Wars, the effects of these wars on ethnic conflicts in 1990s and the effects of these ethnic conflicts on communication and interaction between inhabitants of Balkans will be discussed within 7 sessions of this Forum.