Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies is an Istanbul-based journal aiming at strengthening academic exchange among social scientists from Turkey, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Eastern European countries. We started the journal in 2018 and have published eight issues until now. The ninth issue includes only four research articles.

The first article of the issue titled “The Orthodox Schools of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Ottoman Empire through the Perspectives of Pre-modernity and Modernity” by Sofia Iliadou-Tachou, Prof. Dr., deals with the topic of “secret schools” of the Greek Orthodox millet in the Ottoman Empire. She points out that the legend of “secret schools” emerged within the context of the Greek national movement since the beginning of the 19th century. She tries to analyse the role of this legend still existing in the history education in Greece and public discourse about its existence until the present day.

The second article of the issue titled “Türkiye'de Toplumsal Belleğin Oluşumu: Çanakkale ve Kûtülamâre Zaferleri Anma Törenleri” (Formation of Collective Memory in Turkey: Commemorative Rituals for Victories of Çanakkale and Al Kut) by Gencer Özcan, Prof. Dr., discusses the official memory culture in Turkey analysing two important examples from the First World War: memory on the Gallipoli war (1915) and the war of Al Kut (1916). He analyses commemorative activities and narratives formed around these two Ottoman-Turkish victories. He shows the changing attitude of different political parties and governments towards these wars. He points out that official narratives and activities to commemorate these two victories resonate with shifting priorities of political parties and movements.

The third research article of the issue 9 titled “The Suicidal of Modern Greek Poet Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888-1944) and the Anciemt Greek Mythological Symbol of Narcissus and Rose” by Alexandra Marina Dapoudani, PhD., is an analysis of the literary and personal life of the Greek poet Napoleon Lapathiotis who ended his life with suicide in 1944. The article tries to show the big gap between the imagined ideal world of the poet based on the mythological figure of Narcissus, and the “cold and heartless” modern society of 1920s and 1930s. Altogether the article tries to understand the psychological situation of the poet by analysing his poems.

The fourth and last research article of the issue titled “Prototype of Emigration and Integration in the Balkans: A Case Study on the Albanian Emigrants in Turkey” by Matilda Likaj, PhD., and Brikena Likaj, MA, discusses the Albanian emigrants in Turkey (particularly in Istanbul, Izmir and Bursa) since 1990. The authors claim that the Albanian emigrants in Turkey have a high level of integration into the Turkish society. The authors also try to explain the reasons for this result.

I would like to thank the editorial board members of our journal, especially Cengiz Yolcu, for their hard work and contributions to this issue. I also thank the authors of the articles and all the referees for their precious efforts during the evaluation process of the articles.

Mehmet Hacısalihoğlu, Prof. Dr.
Editor in Chief