ИСТИНА

The Macedonian Problem was considered by the great European powers to be the essential part of the Eastern Question. Macedonia, being a mosaic of various religious, linguistic and cultural groups, where one can not only the recent phenomena such as nationalization, urbanization, revolutionary movements and European style education that came into existence following the very early start of industrial revolution, but also inter- religious disputes, battles among doctrines, tragic massacres, sad migrations and social and economic under-development. The Macedonian issue, which began attempt of the Russian empire diplomacy to combine Macedonia with Bulgaria in San-Stefano, after the Berlin Treaty very soon turned into a tangle between the national organizations and the different elements that different elements created a complete chaos environment. European states, standing ready to partition Ottoman land at a convenient time, intervened in the problem by selling weapons of war to gangs and Balkan states at some times, and creating debtor states in the Balkans at another. The situation was complicated because each European state, as well as each Balkan country was looking with jealousy and suspicion at another. For the Ottoman Empire and especially after the construction of Baghdad railway started, Macedonia had become a sort of the new Dardanelles. The country, which possessed the valleys of Maritsa and Vardar rivers, would enjoy the control over the railway route between Europe and Asia Minor. It was natural for the Ottoman administration to protect the last remaining land in the Balkan region through military, financial, judicial and administrative reforms in order to prevent the need for itself and the intervention of Europe. In 1903, Macedonia witnessed the killing of two Russian consuls, among assassinations, acts of terrorism, insurgency and rebellion suppression efforts, and external pressure reform initiatives. Russia, which was the first to be murdered in the spring of the Mitrovica Consulate, has not become a major problem. However, in August, when the Monastery Consul Rostkovski was massacred by a soldier, a warfare fleet was sent to the Ottoman territorial waters. The provisions given in the proceedings under the Russian pressure and the policies carried out during the crisis clearly revealed the inadequacies and dilemmas of Sultan Abdulhamid's administration. The crisis created by these policies accelerated the developments in Macedonia that will end the Ottoman presence, while the Sultan's balance politics have pushed heavy problems for a short period of time.