2nd International Balkan Studies Congress Successfully Completed

The 2nd International Balkan Studies Congress, organized by the FBalkan Studies Foundation in cooperation with the University of New York Tirana, International Balkan University, İLEM Association, and supported by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities was successfully completed.

The 2nd International Balkan Studies Congress took place between 16 -18 September on the premises of the University of New York Tirana.

At the opening ceremony (16th September) speeches were realized by the congress chairman, Assist. Prof. Bujamin Bela, director of the Balkan Studies Foundation, Dr. Sevba Abdula, the ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Tirana, Mr. Tayyar Kağan Atay, rector of the University of New York Tirana, Prof. Dr. Erkan Erdemir, president of ILEM Association, Assoc. Prof. Abdülkadır Macit, and the rector of the Medeniyet University, Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik.

On 17th September, 2nd day of the congress, 28 participants from 6 different countries as Albania, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Azerbaijan, presented their scientific papers that have been selected in the peer-reviewed process. Participants presented papers from 10 different disciplines as History, Religious Studies, Literature and Language, Media and Communication Studies, Political Sciences, International Relations, Sociology, Law, and Economics.

PRESENTATIONS

Session I

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Gülfettin Çelik

》Evaluating Articles in Serbian Newspapers Related to the Herzegovina Uprising (Застава, Србски народ, Српске новине) in the Framework of the Great Eastern Crisis (1875-1878) – Tanja Čerevicki

》Statistical Data on the Protestant Community in the Ottoman Empire (1850-1899): The Case of Albania – Bertina Salliu

》Modernization Processes in Monastir in the Late Ottoman Period (1878-1912) – Dr. Besnik Emini

Session II

Moderator: Dr. Sevba Abdula

》Iron Production in the Ottoman Empire before the Industrial Revolution: Samakov Iron Workshops in the 16th Century – Emrah Hazar

》The Albania Revolts During the Reigns of Murad II and Fatih Sultan Mehmet – Faruk Yılmaz

》Ottoman Patronage of the Orthodox Church in the Balkans and the Emergence of Imperial Thought (1421-1481) – Turan Değirmenci

Session III

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Faruk Bal

》Forced Migration from Crete to İzmir: Diminished Lives – Neslihan Yılmaz Tekin

》Hafız Sabri Koçi and the Islamic Revival in Post-Communist Albania – Arsida Velija

》The Consolidation of Albania’s International Position upon Admittance to the League of Nations – (1921-1925) – Blerina Kasrati

Session IV

Moderator: Assist. Prof. Ahmet Köroğlu

》The Fiqh Scholar Sejfullah Ef. Proho in the First Half of the 20th Century – Mervenur Sohtaoğlu

》Expressing God in İbn Arabî- Hacı Mustafa Mutlu

》The Ambivalent Orientalist Attitude about the Origin of Sufism: The Case of Reynold A. Nicholson (d. 1945) – Feyza Ketenci

》The Visual and Material Culture of a Tekke in Kosovo: The Yakova Sheikh Ban Sa’di Lodge – Neslihan Süleyman

Session V

Moderator: Assoc. Prof. Lindita Xhanari Latifi

》A Few Words on the Interaction of Skopje Turkish Dialects with Measured Turkish – Dr. Elifnur Yıldız Yalçındağ

》On the Bosnian Language Spoken in Turkey’s Eastern Thrace – Habip Yalçındağ

》The Foundations of, Studies on, and Sources of Hungarology in Turkey – Seyithan Altaş

Session VI

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Uğur Keskin

》Turkey’s Public Diplomacy Toward the Western Balkans: Anadolu Agency’s Diplomatic Narrative Regarding Balkan Languages – Dr. Festim Rizanaj

》Reevaluating Uses and Gratifications Theory in the Context of Social Media: From Traditional Audiences to Active Users – Flora Hajdarmataj

》In the Bosnian Aladdin Sabit Divans of War Thought Its Appearance in the Context of Concretization and Beautification- Burak Koç

Session VII

Moderator: Dr. Deniz Memedi

》Europeanization in the Western Balkans Based on Identity, Security, and Foreign Policy Reflexes – Seda Nur Tezcan

》The Transformation of Foreign Policy in the Balkans in the Context of Neoclassical Realism: The Case of Bulgaria in the Post – Communist Era – Mustafa Işık

》Security Dimensions in Western Balkans and the Albania-Serbia Nexus – Assoc. Prof. Ilir Kalemaj

Session VIII

Moderator: Dr. Sevba Abdula

》The Historical Development of the Bosniak Identity from a Sociological Perspective – Necmettin Yılmaz

》The Failure of the Multicultural State to Be Multicultural: The Revolt of the Liberal-Nationalist Elite in Bosnia – Malak Nasıblı

》An Extraordinary Statesman: Sava Pasha’s Contributions to Legal Education and Literature – Elif Aslı Akyüz

Session IX

Moderator: Assist. Prof. Bujamin Bela

》The Infrastructure of Islamic Finance in the Balkan Region – Rexhail Mustafi

》The Legal Dimension of the Issue of Persons Missing in War and Its Impact on the Relations between Kosovo and Serbia – Dr. Ditar Kabashi

》Presidential Veto Power in the Light of Comparative Constitutional Law with Particular Emphasis on the Republic of North Macedonia – Emir Kurtishi

On the third day of the congress was realized a trip to Berat city.

We would like to thank all researchers, professors, and institutions who have helped organize this congress, wishing them success and prosperity.