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 seven issues until now. The seventh issue includes four research articles and two book reviews.

The first article of the issue 7 titled “The Role of the Vlachs in the Bogomils’ Expansion in the Balkans” by Dr. Octavian Ciobanu deals with the an old idea about the contribution of Vlachs to the spread of Bogomilism in the Balkans. Vlachs and Slavs had the greatest contribution to the expansion of Bogomilism. To explain the role of the Vlachs, the article first explores the presence of the Vlachs along the Via Militaris and Via Egnatia and the references about their faith. Then it focuses on the references about the Vlachs’ contribution to the spread of Bogomilism in Serbian, Montenegrin, Bosnian, Dalmatian, and Croatian lands.

The second article of the issue 7 titled “Expression of Symbolic Ethnityin Abaza and Circassian of Uzunyayla: Damgas of the Families” (in Turkish) by Dr. Didem Çatalkılıç deals with the current and past usage areas of the family tamgas are examined based on our questions to the tradition bearers during our fieldwork in the centre of Ankara and the Abaza and Circassian villages of the Pınarbaşı, Kayseri in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Dr. Çatalkılıç aims to explain how the tamga, which is an ethnic symbol, affects the formation of ethnic identity in Uzunyayla and how its usage areas in Caucasus remain in the memories of residents in Uzunyayla.

The third research article of the issue 7 titled “Suppressing ‘the Slaves’ Revolt’: Banning a Movie in Bulgaria and Turkey’s Stance” (in Turkish) by PhD. candidate Cengiz Yolcu aims to discuss why and how a movie based on the Bulgarian revolutionary movement and a Bulgarian national hero was prevented to be shown publicly on the claim of Turkish government and the diplomats.

The fourth research article of the issue 7 titled “Post-genocidal Balkans Peace: Human Justice, Morality, Memory and Oblivion” by Faruk

Hadžić addresses the identification of transitional, retributive and restorative justice, ICTY, and historiographical memory as the moral foundation of conflict transformation and peacebuilding normativeness in post-Yugoslav societies.

The issue also includes two book reviews. First, Georgi Zelengora’s book titled Türkiye’deki Pomaklar (Türk Tarih Kurumu, 2017) was reviewed by Arş. Gör. Dilara Avcı. Second, Ozan Erözden’s book titled Geçmişle Yüzleşme ve Ceza Adaleti: Yugoslavya Deneyimi (Dost Kitapevi Yayınları, 2017) was reviewed by Nazlıcan Çınar Aslan.

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