Abstract:

The Balkans were peaceful under the Ottoman rule, but non-Turkish ethnic groups began to rebel from the beginning of the 19th century onward with the support of European states, As a result small independent and/or autonomous governments came into being. These governments, which did not not fully depend on certain historical borders, religion, language, ethnic group or historical process, were at fighting with each other and the Ottoman Empire, and this situation was supported by powerful states of those days for various purposes. These tensions that reached top at the beginning of the 20th century turned to be a regional conflict in 1912, especially due to Russia’s active policy against the Habsburg Empire, which was contesting with the former for influence on the Balkans. This was also the forerunner of the World War I. In the Balkan Wars that all sides changed in a short period, the attitude of powerful empires was notable. The progression of Serbia to the Adriatic disturbed Austria. Russia, which had provoked the Balkan states against the Ottoman Empire, began to worry for the Bulgarian advance towards Istanbul. Britain’s policy, which constitutes a part of our paper, was to support the Balkan states against the Ottoman Empire. The London government tried especially to control Bulgaria after the Treaty of Berlin in order to check Russia's southward expansion, by creating a "buffer state". This essay tells about the reflections of the military and political developments during the Balkan Wars on The Times newspaper, which was one of Britain’s leading broadcasting organizations. In addition, based on news from the Times, Britain's approach to the problem will be discussed

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