Kosovo: Past, Present and Future

Balkans region has always been reminded with negative images such as war, conflict, fragmentation, ethnic cleansing and instability with reference to the 'Balkanization' concept. Such a heritage resurfaced particularly during the disintegration process of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which Kosovo was one of the most critical parts as an autonomous province. With the abolition of autonomous status of Kosovo, Albanians in the province resisted against Serbian rule through respectively non-military, passive resistance and parallel strucrures, and military means, the Kosovo Liberation Army. Tension and pressure in Kosovo led to the emergence of physical conflict and violence, and eventually North Atlantic Treaty Organization intervention on 24 March 1999. After the end of more than a five century domination of Ottoman Empire in Kosovo, it respectively became a part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia after the First World War and Socialist Yugoslavia after the Second World War. With the dissolution process of Socialist Yugoslavia, Kosovar Albanians were in search of independence as the new 'masters' of Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, they managed to have their 'new born' indepenedent state. However, its present conditions and future should be analysed through a multidisciplinary perspective. As a matter of fact, this book intends to undertake such an academic effort by examining historical, legal, gender, security, political and foreign policy issues of Kosovo.