Balkan and Aegean Research and Practice Center

The Balkans is a culturally rich region that has been home to peoples of various languages, religions and ethnic origins throughout history. It has also played an important role in shaping Turkish and world history. Although Turkish presence in the Balkans date backs to the Middle Ages, the Ottoman period in particular had a great impact on the formation of the modern Balkans. Similarly, today, Turkey and the Balkan countries are an inseparable part of each other historically, socially and culturally, and a region where the Ottoman legacy still exists in many areas. On the other hand, it is clear that Turkey attaches great importance to the development of economic, political, social and cultural relations with the Balkan countries, especially in recent years.

For centuries, Çanakkale served as a bridge between Anatolia and the Balkans, as well as being the point of passage of the Ottomans to Rumelia. In addition, it is one of the cities where Balkan Muhajirs were settled most intensively after the Ottoman Empire entered the process of disintegration. This includes the migrations from the Balkans during the Republican period and especially the migration from Bulgaria in 1989. Likewise, it is well known that after the outbreak of the First World War, tens of thousands of Turks and Muslims from the regions lost by the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars voluntarily enlisted in the Ottoman army and fought on the Çanakkale front. As a matter of fact, Çanakkale Martyrdom is a clear proof of this. Therefore, Çanakkale is connected to the Balkans not only geographically but also in its heart. On the other hand, Çanakkale has an exceptional place in Turkish-Greek relations as it is located on the Aegean Sea. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University is rapidly progressing towards becoming one of the leading universities in Turkey in accordance with the historical mission of the city where it was founded.

One of the main purposes of universities is to contribute to the research and discovering of national and international values. Being aware of the Ottoman history and cultural heritage in the Balkans, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University attaches great importance to the Balkans in the fields of education, science and culture in line with the long-term goals of our country and aims to be a window of Turkey to the Balkans. In this context, our university is ready to contribute to the strengthening of historical and cultural ties and the development of mutual academic relations between Turkey and the Balkan countries and has the necessary infrastructure and knowledge to realize this. As a matter of fact, the Postgraduate Program of Balkan Studies, which was opened in 2012 within the Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Interdisciplinary Regional Studies, is the first master's program on Balkan studies in our country. Another step taken by our university in this direction is the establishment of the Balkan and Aegean Application and Research Center.

The Balkan and Aegean Research and Practice Center entered into force with the regulation published in the Official Gazette dated February 21, 2017, and numbered 29986.