Divided Sanjak

GEOGRAPHICAL FUTURES Sanjak or Sandjak is situated in the centre of Balkan Peninsula, between Serbia and Montenegro. In the northwest, it borders Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the sought-east it borders Kosova and in the Sought Albania. Areas 8,687 km2. the capital is Novi Pazar Administratively it falls into two separate Yugoslav federal districts. Six Sandjak towns are in Serbia (Novi Pazar,Tutin, Sjenica, Nova Varos, Prije Polje and Priboj) and five in Montenegro (Bijelo, Polje, Rozhaje, Plav, Pljevlja and Berane)

POPULATION The number of the population of Sanjak is approximately 530,000 with Bosnian Muslims making up 67% (353,350), 33% (176,650) Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians and others comprising the rest.  

ECONOMY Agriculture and industry is developed.Textile and shoes factory in the Sanjak.Because Muslim people can not works in the government. Althought the region has natural resources of coal,timber and marble,these remain largely unexploited.   RELIGION Religion is a primary element in the national identity of Sanjak. Sanjak is a multicultural and multiethnic community, Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic minorities live in the region.

WHAT IS THE CONFLICT IN SANDJAK? Sanjak is the multicultural region. Different nation lives together in Sanjak. They have ethnic, religional and cultural differentiation. Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic people all together in Sanjak because of there is conflict between minority. Bosnian Muslim's population 67%,they have more population from other minorities. But they have not social, political and economic rights. The Muslims wants autonomy. After the Dayton Agreement Serbs and Croats were have autonomy but the Muslims were have not. Sanjak problem was not solved in the Dayton.

THE STATUS OF SANJAK DURING THE HİSTORY In the Serb history the Sanjak region knows “Raşka” which name of the Serb kingdom in the 11.century (Sought-West Serbia) The Ottoman Empire conquered of Sanjak in 1461 which period of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. The region’s other names of Novi Pazar. Sanjak is one of the Sanjak of Ottoman which depend of Bosnia – Herzegovina. (ottoman have 7 sanjak) At the end of the 17.century Sanjak was an autonomy region near the Bosnia. In 1876 Sanjak divided between Serbia and Montenegro with Venedik agreement.

THE STATUS OF SANJAK DURING THE HISTORY 1878 Sanjak was separated from Bosnia and Herzegovina and existed as an independent political territory. 1912 Sanjak was occupied by Serbia and Montenegro after the Balkan wars. 23,000 Sanjak people were displaced to Bosnia. 1918 Sanjak lost its legal status, when the kingdom of Yugoslavia was established . 1945 The rights to autonomy were rescinded by the communist regime. In 1991 Bosnia’s Muslim citizens formed the Muslim National Council of Sanjak. (MNCS)

THE POLITICAL STATUS OF SANJAK AFTER THE COLD WAR After the 1980, firstly SSCB and in the some east country was started dissolution. In the Yugoslavia the Serbs was have national and political homogenate. The dissolution of federal Yugoslavia was hastened by the rise to power of Slobodan Miloshevich as president of the Serbian Republic and his embrace of an extreme Serbs nationalist agenda. The Serbs declared independence in 1991 (Bosnia Serb Federation) The Croats declared independence in 1992. (Bosnia Croat Federation) In 1990 SDA (Democratic Action Party) established in Bosnia – Herzegovina after established SDA in Sanjak (29 July 1990) under the leader of Süleyman Uglanin.

MUSLIM NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SANJAK (MNCS) MNCS was established in 1991 for the preserve of Muslim’s political, economic and cultural rights. The leader of MNCS is Süleyman Uglanin. The most important goal of the MNCS is the prevent of immigration of Muslim people and the provide of living in the region. MNCS wanted private status (autonomy) for Sanjak. Uglanin said that, Sanjak Muslim people wanted have, judiciary, police, education, media and cultural building and they wanted controlled of natural energy and sources, bank and telecommunication services. Most important characteristics of the MNCS, the interaction with international organizations like UN, OSCE, European Council. The basic organization of Sanjak is MNCS.

MUSLIM NATIONAL COUNCIL OF SANJAK (MNCS) In 1991 referandum in Sanjak 99% wanted autonomy. In 1992, Yugoslavia government was chanced constitution, Muslim loosed all right In 1992, SDA declared its own election and its own note. In 1993, the Serbs control was increased on the Sanjak. Uglanin was leaved Sanjak In the 1996, Uglanin coming and according to 9 November election, he was entered Yugoslavia Federal Parliament.  In Novi Pazar, Muslim Party Coalition was coming. In 1995, five party was established under the name of SDA. There are SDA, Sanjak SDA, Yugoslavia SDA, Doğru SDA, Gerçek SDA.

AFTER THE DAYTON AGREEMENT After the Bosnian war the Dayton Agreement was signed in 1995. The status of Sanjak was not solved. Sanjak’s status problem was not ended with Dayton. After the Dayton, Sanjak people wanted autonomy like Serb and Croat. But they could not have independence. The political leaders of Sanjak wanted depend with Bosnia before Bosnia was losed East Bosnian country. Because Bosnia and Sanjak people have common ethnic, religional and cultural characteristic. In 1999 MNCS was accepted new declaration about equality of national and political right of Muslims, autonomy of Sanjak and private relations with Bosnia- Herzegovina.

THE VIEWS OF SANJAK LEADERS ABOUT STATUS OF SANJAK Süleyman Uglanin is the leader of SDA and Muslim National Council of Sanjak, he defense full autonomy for Sanjak. He wants support from international organizations. Serbia and Montenegro want to members of European Union. Because of they must give important minority rights. The Mufti of Sanjak is Muammer Zukorliç, according to he, the most important problem of Sanjak is the broke of Sanjak and assimilation. Fevziya Muriç is the leader of Sanjak party, he defends territorial and political autonomy for Sanjak. Rasim Layiç is leader of Sanjak Democratic Party, he have more different idea about Sanjak status. He don’t want full autonomy for Sanjak

THE VIEWS OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO ABOUT STATUS OF SANJAK The Serbs have the idea of Great Serbia. They were not accepted Muslim minority in the region and they do not give political, economic and cultural status of Sanjak people. Among the methods of “ethnic cleansing” employed by the Serb forces are the selective killing of the Muslim community’s civic, religious and intellectual leaders. Serb’s methods are displaced of Muslims and assimilation. Yugoslavia is the member of the OSCE. Minority rights are the basic goal of OSCE.

RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND SANJAK Today, about 7 million Bosnian people live in Turkey. The Turks and Bosnian people have common religion and culture. They have common history under the control of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkey should struggle for the preserve rights of Sanjak people on the international arena. The Turkey is the member of Organization of Islamic Conferance and NATO and it candidate member of European Union. Because of Turkey is the most important actor for the solving of Sanjak status. Turkey can organize international assembly for Sanjak.

CONCLUSION After the 1990, the struggles of Bosnian people for the win ethnic and political unity were anhinilated with violence. Sanjak people was acceptable as a different minority in the 2003. The most important problem of Sanjak is the probability of separation between Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia want to unity, but Montenegro wants to independent. Sanjak people has two dilemma, firstly, live under the Serb authority, the second, broke of Sanjak with independence of Montenegro. The Sanjak is the sixteen conflict area on the world according to NATO’s report. Because Sanjak problem was not solved in the Dayton and Dayton Agreement is the not necessary for the permanent peace in the Balkan Peninsula.

SOLUTION After the Dayton Agreement war was ended but ethnic and social conflict are continuing in today. Because Dayton is not necessary for the permanent peace in the region. Serbs and Croats was win autonomy with Dayton, but the Sanjak’s status problem was not solved. Muslim people have not social, economic and political rights in today. For the permanent peace in the region, Muslim people must have autonomy like Serbs and Croats. They must have own police, judiciary education, media and cultural building and they should control of natural energy and sources. Muslim should have equal position with other minorities in the region.

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