Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
BALKAN ARASTRMA ENSTITUSU DERGISI-JOURNAL OF BALKAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE-JBRI, cilt.14, sa.2, ss.351-400, 2025 (ESCI, TRDizin)
The assassination carried out by Serbian nationalists in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914 instantly triggered tensions in Europe and thus paved the way for the deeper inter-state conflicts. This incident triggered a severe response from the Austro-Hungarian Empire towards Serbia and the war commenced within a month, as major powers including Germany, Russia, France and the United Kingdom became involved in the unfolding events. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the result of rising nationalism, imperialism, alliance systems and militarism in Europe. In this process, where international diplomacy proved insufficient, diplomatic correspondence turned into threatening ultimatums. Germany's influence on Austria-Hungary's decision to go to war, Russia's support for Serbia and ultimately the positions of France and Britain made the war inevitable. While these events were taking place in Europe, the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean emerged as a major conflict zone in the early 20th century due to the strategic interests of the great powers. In this context, as an inevitable consequence of regional tensions, a war between the Ottoman Empire and Greece was expected. This article analyzes how diplomatic tensions in Turkish-Greek relations were portrayed in the British press during the period from the assassination of Franz Ferdinand to the Ottoman Empire's official entry into World War I. The assassination not only heightened political tensions in Europe but also deepened diplomatic conflicts in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean region. News published in the British press provided significant insights into the developments and dynamics of the Ottoman-Greek diplomatic crisis and its potential escalation into war. This study aims to analyze how the British press perceived the Ottoman-Greek tension through news, articles and columns in the British press of the period, and how this perception was reflected in the strategic decisions of the Ottoman State in international relations at the beginning of World War I. In the current study, the British press's approach to the events was evaluated in the light of the geopolitical dynamics in the region, as well as the Turkish-Greek diplomatic strategies. Furthermore, this study seeks to elaborate on the stances of the Ottoman Empire and Greece regarding their respective interests in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea, and to examine how these stances influenced the course of the war.