During the Ottoman period, Kosovo had a mixed population with Albanians, Serbs, Turks, and other groups. Before the Balkan Wars, Kosovo had a diverse ethnic makeup with a notable Albanian presence, challenging the notion of a Serbian majority in the region at that time. However, by the early 20th century, especially after the Balkan Wars (1912-1913) and World War I, the demographic balance began to shift more significantly towards the Albanian population due to various factors, including migration patterns and birth rates.

Yugoslavia aimed to reduce the Muslim population in southern Serbia, particularly in Kosovo, to create a more ethnically homogeneous state, thus strengthening the Serbian majority and consolidating national identity within the Yugoslav federation. So, a secret arrangement between Turkey and Yugoslavia followed by a Turkish-Yugoslav agreement of 11 July 1938. The primary goal was to relocate a significant number of Muslims from southern Serbia, which included areas such as Kosovo, to Turkey. This move was likely motivated by a combination of ethnic and political considerations, aiming to reduce the Muslim population in Yugoslavia and address demographic concerns. The agreement stipulated the compulsory migration of 40,000 Muslim families from southern Serbia to Turkey over a five-year period, from 1939 to 1944. In return, Turkey would receive a compensation of 20,000,000 Turkish liras.¹

The agreement can be seen within the broader context of interwar ethnic and nationalist policies in the Balkans. Both Turkey and Yugoslavia were dealing with diverse populations and sought ways to manage ethnic minorities within their borders. However, the onset of World War II in 1939 disrupted the implementation of this agreement and created a complex and chaotic environment, making it impossible to carry out such a large-scale migration plan.

During World War II, the Serbian presence in Kosovo began to shrink. A report (25.4.1944) by Neubacher, the Third Reich’s special envoy for the Balkans, describes the tactics of the Albanians in the ethnic cleansing of Serbs: “The Albanians engage in whisper propaganda, advising the Serbs to leave Albania as quickly as possible to save their lives. There are also kidnappings, murders, and house searches taking place (…). This Second League of Prizren has no ability to evolve into a larger military organization. The weapons we give them will disappear uncontrollably and very soon into the mountains.”(…)

In communist Yugoslavia, Kosovo became an autonomous province within the federal Serbian Republic, but the expelled Serbs were not allowed to return. After Tito’s break with Stalin in 1948, Albania sought Soviet support for the incorporation of Kosovo, parts of Yugoslav Macedonia, and Montenegro. However, Soviet policy aimed at overthrowing Tito, not dissolving Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia granted extensive autonomy to Kosovo in 1969, solidified in 1974, which equated to de facto status of a federal Yugoslav republic. With this imposition, the Serbs and Montenegrins were exposed to the oppression of the Albanians, who staffed Kosovo’s administrative and party apparatus and sought refuge in Serbia. Thus, while in 1968 the Serbs made up 27.5% of Kosovo’s population, by 1981 they had become a powerless minority of 13.2%.

The future of Serbia and Kosovo also concerned the Serbian Academy of Sciences in 1986, which issued a related Memorandum. The Memorandum was criticized by many administrative officials and figures. One of them took a cautious stance and, on April 24, 1987, at a gathering of Serbs in Kosovo, said among other things, “It has never been characteristic of the morale of Serbs and Montenegrins to succumb to obstacles. (…) You must stay here, for your ancestors and for your descendants.” His name was Slobodan Milošević, aprominent figure that played a major role in the upcoming Yugoslav Wars.

1. Turkey needed an Albanian Muslim element to populate predominantly Kurdish areas. ↩︎