POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS CHANGES REGARDING KOSOVO DURING THE SOCIALIST YUGOSLAVIA

Ditar Kabashi; Tolga Karpuz

Article Details

POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS CHANGES REGARDING KOSOVO DURING THE SOCIALIST YUGOSLAVIA

Authors:

Ditar Kabashi | Tolga Karpuz

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer) | Bölgesel Çalışmalar

Journal:

Balkan Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.177-206

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322553

pISSN:

2147-1371

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Depending on internal and external political developments, many constitutional changes were made in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia throughout its history. The evolution of socialist practices, differences of centralist and autonomous approaches towards the republics forming Yugoslavia, and the rise of nationalist movements formed the basis of these constitutional changes. The political effects of these constitutional amendments in Kosovo which later gained republic status and witnessed years of ethnic tensions between Albanians and Serbs, constituted turning points in the political history of Kosovo. Initially considered as part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia with a centralist perspective since 1946, Kosovos constitutional status began to improve legally and administratively with the federal constitutional amendments of 1968 and 1971. Most especially with the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution, Kosovo attained a position almost equal to the federal republics in terms of authority despite being an autonomous region. But after Titos death, in the 1980s, the escalation of nationalist discourse and movements in Yugoslavia began to disrupt the functioning of the federal government. The abolishment of Kosovos autonomy in 1989 should be assessed as a result of this process. From that point onwards, the political unrest in Kosovo gradually escalated into ethnic conflicts, leading to a struggle that eventually culminated in independence, declared in 2008.

 Depending on internal and external political developments, many constitutional changes were made in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia throughout its history. The evolution of socialist practices, differences of centralist and autonomous approaches towards the republics forming Yugoslavia, and the rise of nationalist movements formed the basis of these constitutional changes. The political effects of these constitutional amendments in Kosovo which later gained republic status and witnessed years of ethnic tensions between Albanians and Serbs, constituted turning points in the political history of Kosovo. Initially considered as part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia with a centralist perspective since 1946, Kosovos constitutional status began to improve legally and administratively with the federal constitutional amendments of 1968 and 1971. Most especially with the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution, Kosovo attained a position almost equal to the federal republics in terms of authority despite being an autonomous region. But after Titos death, in the 1980s, the escalation of nationalist discourse and movements in Yugoslavia began to disrupt the functioning of the federal government. The abolishment of Kosovos autonomy in 1989 should be assessed as a result of this process. From that point onwards, the political unrest in Kosovo gradually escalated into ethnic conflicts, leading to a struggle that eventually culminated in independence, declared in 2008.

 Depending on internal and external political developments, many constitutional changes were made in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia throughout its history. The evolution of socialist practices, differences of centralist and autonomous approaches towards the republics forming Yugoslavia, and the rise of nationalist movements formed the basis of these constitutional changes. The political effects of these constitutional amendments in Kosovo which later gained republic status and witnessed years of ethnic tensions between Albanians and Serbs, constituted turning points in the political history of Kosovo. Initially considered as part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia with a centralist perspective since 1946, Kosovos constitutional status began to improve legally and administratively with the federal constitutional amendments of 1968 and 1971. Most especially with the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution, Kosovo attained a position almost equal to the federal republics in terms of authority despite being an autonomous region. But after Titos death, in the 1980s, the escalation of nationalist discourse and movements in Yugoslavia began to disrupt the functioning of the federal government. The abolishment of Kosovos autonomy in 1989 should be assessed as a result of this process. From that point onwards, the political unrest in Kosovo gradually escalated into ethnic conflicts, leading to a struggle that eventually culminated in independence, declared in 2008.

 Yugoslavya Sosyalist Federal Cumhuriyetinde tarihi boyunca iç ve dış siyasi gelişmelere bağlı olarak anayasa değişiklikleri yapılmıştır. Sosyalizm uygulamasının evrimi, Yugoslavyayı oluşturan cumhuriyetlere yönelik merkezci veya özerkliğe sıcak bakan yaklaşım farklılıkları ve milliyetçi hareketlerin yükselişleri, bu anayasa değişikliklerinin temelini oluşturmuştur. Bu anayasa değişikliklerinin, Yugoslavyada sonradan cumhuriyet statüsüne sahip olan ve etnik anlamda yıllar boyunca Arnavut-Sırp çekişmesine sahne olmuş Kosovada yarattığı siyasi etkiler, 1990ların sonunda kanlı bir savaşa sahne olan ve 2008 yılında bağımsızlığını ilan eden Kosovanın siyasi tarihinin dönüm noktalarını oluşturmuştur. 1946 yılından itibaren Yugoslavya Federasyonunun egemenliğine giren Kosovanın başlangıçta merkezci bir bakış açısıyla Sırbistan Sosyalist Cumhuriyeti içerisinde değerlendirilen anayasal statüsü ancak 1968 ve 1971 federal Anayasa değişiklikleriyle birlikte hukukî ve idari anlamda iyileştirilmeye başlamıştır. Özellikle 1974 Yugoslavya Anayasası ile birlikte Kosova, özerk bölge olmasına karşın yetki kapsamı bakımından nerdeyse federe cumhuriyetlere eşdeğer bir konum kazanmıştır. Ancak Devlet Başkanı Josip Broz Titonun ölümünden sonra 1980li yıllarda Yugoslavyada milliyetçi söylem ve hareketlerin tırmanmasıyla federal yapının işleyişi sekteye uğramaya başlamıştır. 1989 yılında Kosovanın özerkliğinin kaldırılması bu sürecin sonucu olarak değerlendirilmelidir. Bu tarihten itibaren Kosovada başlayan siyasi huzursuzluk giderek etnik çatışmalara evrilerek bağımsızlığa kadar sürecek bir mücadele dönemini başlatmıştır.

Article Details

POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS CHANGES REGARDING KOSOVO DURING THE SOCIALIST YUGOSLAVIA

Authors:

Ditar Kabashi | Tolga Karpuz

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer) | Bölgesel Çalışmalar

Journal:

Balkan Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.177-206

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322553

pISSN:

2147-1371

Constitutional Autonomy

Kosovo

Nationalism

Serbia

YugoslaviaAnayasal Özerklik

Kosova

Milliyetçilik

Sırbistan

Yugoslavya

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ditar Kabashi | Tolga Karpuz

Publisher: Trakya University

Main Topics: Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer) | Bölgesel Çalışmalar

Journal: Balkan Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.177-206

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2024

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001322553

pISSN: 2147-1371

Issues

Authors:

Ditar Kabashi | Tolga Karpuz

Publisher:

Trakya University

Main Topics:

Siyaset Bilimi (Diğer) | Bölgesel Çalışmalar

Journal:

Balkan Araştırma Enstitüsü Dergisi Vol.13 Issue 1, pp.177-206

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2024

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001322553

pISSN:

2147-1371