Of course the time of Ottoman Empire was long over. She survived only because of the geopolitical balance between the Great Powers. Possession of the Straits was of great importance. Russia has always strived to conquer them. If it had succeeded, it would have turned Russia into the ruler of Europe and the Middle East.  Also successor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Thats why Great Britain, France and Germany supported the Ottoman Empire. For me the Balkan War was a great episode of Bulgarian history. My great-great grandfather was involved in the war. He participated in the conquest of Edirne. I have family photographs from that time. We were able to avenge the barbaric destruction of Bulgarian Empire in the 14th century. Also the next centuries of violent Islamic terror. Our soldiers complied the historic mission of final rejection of Islamic conquest in Europe. Should not be forgotten that the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic caliphate, not the Turkish nation-state. Thereafter Bulgarians tried to recover their possession, but clashed with imperial ambitions of their neighbors. However, they did not hesitate to go to war with all of them. 

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis Of course the time of Ottoman Empire was long over. She survived only because of the geopolitical balance between the Great Powers. Possession of the Straits was of great importance. Russia has always strived to conquer them. If it had succeeded, it would have turned Russia into the ruler of Europe and the Middle East.  Also successor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Thats why Great Britain, France and Germany supported the Ottoman Empire.

I agree it with 99%. I think, just German issue is different. Germany supported Ottomans not for possible Russian invasian, they supported to get an allies against France and Britain. In a historical order, Ottoman-Britain-France cooperation  was older than German-Ottoman.  When Britain and France decided to share Ottoman instead of protect, Ottoman and German alliance established

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis For me the Balkan War was a great episode of Bulgarian history. My great-great grandfather was involved in the war. He participated in the conquest of Edirne. I have family photographs from that time.

During the 2 Balkan Wars, Bulgaria was always at the front stage. It was major player. My ancestry of paternal grandparents was still in Central Bulgaria in those days.

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis We were able to avenge the barbaric destruction of Bulgarian Empire in the 14th century.

Barbarbaric destruction how many countries have been destructed in different way? if they exist, that should be an exception.

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis Also the next centuries of violent Islamic terror.

It gives own place to christian terror in Greece, Serbia and Bulgaira. Issue is not about religion, What did Latin armies do their Christian brothers during the Fourth Crusade? How many times Byzantine Empire suppressed Bulgarian civil riots in bloody ways? The problem is selfishness and

greediness of humanity and also having a less tolerans for someone who is different than him/her

 

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis Our soldiers complied the historic mission of final rejection of Islamic conquest in Europe.

There were three big cities in that area; Salonica, Edirne, İstanbul. Bulgaria took the one of them. That was a good achwivement. However, I don't think they could able to finish their historical mission. Serbs, Bulgarians and Greeks have just one national-historical mission which was conquering the Istanbul.

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis Should not be forgotten that the Ottoman Empire was an Islamic caliphate, not the Turkish nation-state.

Who did cancel the caliphate? When Turkey did it, a sentence also added "Caliphate is belongs the republic (Turkish Rebuplic), caliphate is just canceling". This is also an open gate, but of cource, I don't think that majority of muslims will notice him as religious leader. Maybe just some Hanefis.

Thanks to these good maps.

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis A little known fact is that before the attack at Chataldja (last frontline before Constantinople) Bulgarian government received a secret ultimatum from St. Petersburg to immediately stop the offensive. The superpower has wanted the Straits and Constantinople only for themselves. The Straits and Constantinople were the price of Russian participation in the First World War. Even before the Ottoman Empire was also included in the conflict! Therefore Ottoman pre-emptive strike on Russian Black Sea ports in 1915 was fully justified. Russian armies fought in Galicia and Poland, but did not stop to prepare their invasion on Straits.

Yes, you are right. Russians was afraid of Bulgarian occupation in İstanbul.

Istanbul faced 3 threat during the Ottoman Empire. Just the first one could be succesful.
*Triple Entente in 1918 (Occupation of Istanbul)
*Russia in 1877-1878 (Yeşilköy/St. Stefano, more closer than Çatalca/Chataldja)
*Bulgaria in 1912-1913 (Çatalca/Chataldja)

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis At the end of the Balkan War in April 1913 the Bulgarian army controlled a majority of the European territory of modern Turkey. Even a few cities on the shores of the Marmara Sea. Like Tekirdağ (Родосто) and Şarköy.

Now I am in Tekirdağ untill April

Originally posted by Kanas_Krumesis Then at the conclusion of the peace treaty, the British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey insisted on final border line Midia-Enos. It is obvious that the real reason for this was the Straits. British wanted the Straits too.

Yes, special position of Turkish Straits shows itself also in Serves and Lausanne agreements

Yellow one is Strait region in Serves Agreement (1918)
Pink one is Strait region in Lausanne Agreement (1923)
Turkey took all authority of the Straits with Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits (1936)
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100th anniversary of Balkan Wars: the beginning (Radio Bulgaria)
http://bnr.bg/sites/en/Lifestyle/HistoryAndReligion/Pages/100thanniversaryofBalkanWarsthebeginning.aspx

R.I.P. to all of them!Never it happens again!

My great-grandfather fought in the Balkan Wars and won two medals:the Greek-Turkish Medal, for the FBW and the Greek-Bulgarian Medal for the SBW. I have a pocketknife, with king Constantine and queen Sophia, probably a souvenir. I also have an ivory brooch of that era, probably a souvenir also, with king Constantine. I wonder if anyone knows anything more about those souvenirs.

İlk kendi aranızda bir anlaşın da ondan sonra Osmanlı'ya hakaret edin, hasta bir adamdan toprak almak şu tarihinizde övünebileceğiniz yegane şey olsa gerek!! ki, kendi aranızda bile anlaşamamış olmanızda cabası.

Originally posted by medenaywe Hope Olios will translate Sam@'s post above!!

It is wasting time. Our friend Sam has been offended. According to his idea, we are 
insulting the Ottomans

Originally posted by Ollios Originally posted by medenaywe Hope Olios will translate Sam@'s post above!! It is wasting time. Our friend Sam has been offended. According to his idea, we are  insulting the Ottomans

Originally posted by Sam@   Yanlış anlaşılmasın yazılanlara değildi o sözler, sadece karikatürlerden rahatsız oldum onu dile getirdim. Sanırım Türkçe biliyorsun. Ben İngilizceyi çok az bildiğim için İngilizce yazamadım, yoksa bu konuda bir Fransız kadar tutucu değilimdir :).

Yes, I know a little bit Turkish as much as ordinary Turk in Turkish. It is my mother tongue and I am living in Turkey . Sorry, but I couldn't see any wrong thing in my cartoons. Those are historical references of how the people in West seemed Ottoman in those days.

Originally posted by Sam@ İmzanda ne demek istiyor tam Türkçe'si nedir merak ettim.

He is asking my signature.
(Turkish), "Balkan savaşları sırasında söylenmiş bir söz, o dönemi bence en güzel anlatan anlatımlardan biri açıklaması - Türkler Hristiyanların önünden kaçıyor; Bulgarlar Yunanlıların ve Türklerin önünden kaçıyor, Yunanlılar ve Türkler Bulgarların önünden kaçıyor, Arnavutlar ise Sırpların önünden kaçıyor."

Originally posted by Sam@ medanaywe'nin ne demek istediğini pek anlayamadım, son cümlesini anlasaydım cevap verebilecektim.

he is asking what did madanaywe mean in his last sentence. He means that Balkans are still dividing by strange powers as like in Ottoman times. A tailor is shaping Balkans as his wishes.

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About using Turkish, you can go http://www.allempires.com/forum/forum_topics.asp?FID=81&SID=zac4b2432bb24ee45289zd288a745765

You can write in Turkish, you can create a topic or answer with using Turkish

A few days ago a watch  "Zorba the Greek". It was a old fashion movie for me. I had known that it was great movie for own times, but my opinion was why I should have watch it. However, all is gone after I watched it. Yes, it had bad effects like in course scenes, but the character of Zorba, english man and french lady, are excellent.The movie is about Greek writer Nikos Kazancakis' novel and it was directed by Michael Cacoyannis

The Zorba is a regretful person who is in late middle-aged. He probably fought in Balkan Wars (the story is in 1930's)

Originally posted by Zorba describes his ambush of a rival guerrilla, a Bulgarian priest: So I went into this priest’s stable and waited. Toward nightfall the priest came into the stable to feed the animals. I threw myself on him and cut his throat like a sheep. I lopped off his ears and stuck them in my pocket. I was making a collection of Bulgar ears, you see; so I took the priest’s ears and made off. A few days leter, Zorba repented of this action and renounced his country, after meeting the five orphaned children of the priest he had killed, who had been reduced to beggary. But this was only after having already carried out a whole series of atrocities: I’ve done things for my country that would make your hair stand on end, boss. I’ve cut people’s throats, burned villages, robbed and raped women, wiped out entire families. Why ? Because they were Bulgars, or Turks.

http://greatersurbiton.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/zorba-the-greek-on-the-extermination-of-the-macedonians/