Let’s take a brief look at the history of the city of Skopje:
1365-1591: Beylerbeylik of Rumelia, part of the Ottoman Empire. The capital was Adrianople (Edirne) until 1530, and Sofia from 1530 onward.
1591-1867: Eyalet of Rumelia, part of the Ottoman Empire. This was essentially the same region, with the name change having no other impact. Sofia remained the capital until 1836, after which Monastir (Bitola) served as the capital until the end in 1867. Notably, the Turks called Monastir by its Greek name. The largest cities in Rumelia were Adrianople, Ioannina, Sofia, Plovdiv, Monastir, Thessaloniki, and Skopje.
1868-1877: Vilayet of Pristina. In 1868, the Eyalet was divided into smaller parts, and Vilayets (provinces) were created. Thus, the city of Skopje became part of the Vilayet of Pristina.
1877-1888: Vilayet of Kosovo. In 1877, a new Vilayet named Kosovo was established, with Skopje included in it.
1888-1913: Capital of the Vilayet of Kosovo. In 1888, the city of Skopje (more precisely, the Sanjak of Skopje, the next administrative division below the Vilayet) became the capital of Kosovo under Ottoman rule.
1913-1915: Kingdom of Serbia. After the Second Balkan War and the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest, the city of Skopje and its surrounding areas were incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia.
1915-1918: Bulgaria. During World War I, the Bulgarian army occupied Skopje and incorporated it into Bulgaria. Despite the efforts of the Allied forces, Bulgaria held Skopje for three years.
1918-1928: Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. In 1918, during the so-called “Vardar Offensive“, the Allied forces of Serbia, Greece, Britain, France, and Italy defeated the Central Powers (Bulgaria and Germany). Consequently, the city and region of Skopje (Vardar) were given to Serbia, which was then called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, representing the three nations that comprised it. Notably, in 1919, the name of Monastir was officially changed to Bitola for the first time.
1928-1944: Vardar Banovina, Yugoslavia. In 1918, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was renamed Yugoslavia. The city and region of Skopje were named the Vardar Banovina.
1944-1991: Socialist Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In 1944, Tito, aiming to avoid future conflicts with Bulgaria like those of 1915 and to preempt possible claims by the Bulgarian minority, created a new alphabet with additions and subtractions of letters and syllables calling it “macedonian language“. He attempted to build a new national consciousness and used the term “Macedonia” for the first time in history. Thus, the area of Skopje was named the “Socialist Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” as an internal name within Yugoslavia.
1991-2019: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Due to Greece’s objections, the EU decided on December 16, 1991, not to recognize the state under any derivative of the name “Macedonia.” Thus, the name remained unresolved until 1995, when Greece agreed to the provisional name “FYROM” until a solution approved by Greece could be found.
2019-present: “North Macedonia”(!). On June 17, 2018, the Prespa Agreement was signed, and after its ratification, it came into effect on February 12, 2019. The agreement stipulated that the state’s name would be North Macedonia.
2024-present: On May 14, 2024, during the inauguration of the new President of Skopje, the individual declared their oath as “President of Macedonia,” substantially violating the agreement. Hundreds of similar substantial violations followed.
This is the story of how the once capital of Kossovo by the Ottomans claims to be not a key city in Macedonia. Which one is next to be part of Macedonia now? Helsinki perhaps?