REVISION OF THE GREEK TERRITORIAL ASPIRATION IN OTTOMAN MACEDONIA

Abstract

After the well-known speech of Prime Minister Ioannis Kolletis in Greek Parliament in 1844, Macedonia became one of the regions of Ottoman Empire towards which Greek territorial ambitions were directed. However during the period of so-called Great Eastern Crisis (1875-1881) Greek political elite became aware that annexation of whole Ottoman Macedonia was impossible. In that direction the Greek Prime Minister Charilaos Tricoupis ordered some Greek diplomats to give some proposals about possible division of the territory of Ottoman Macedonia. Also the founder of Modern Greek historiography Constantinos Paparrigopoulos took participation in defining the line of Greek interest in Macedonia. Line began at Ohrid Lake and passing through Bitr la. Krushevo, Strumica, Petrich ended in Nevrokop. The territory south of this Une should to be a part of enlarged Greek State in the future.