The Byzantine and Turkish relations in the Balkans ( IV-X. centuries)

Since ancient times, Balkan Peninsula had been a significant passage for clans that had been proceeding from East to West or wishing to sail onto the Mediterranean having crossed the Danube, and occasionally for those wishing to found worldwide empires and also had been an area of strife for nations. The Roman Empire, operating noteworthy campaigns against the Macedonian Kingdom, which had been wishing to establish a powerful dominance across the Balkans, led to an era of serenity in the area when it dominated the Peninsula in the 2nd Century B.C. However, the era of serenity came to an end with the beginning of the Migration of Clans. Thus, the Roman Empire failed to prevent these communities holding outnumbering populations from sailing onto the Southern waters having crossed the Danube.From the ending period of the 14th Century, the Balkan Peninsula came under the rule of East Roman Empire after the Roman Empire had split up. To the end of the same century, European Huns, who appeared at the enterance of Europe crossing the Lake Itil and desired to found a worldwide empire capturing East Roman Empire, started a dramatic rise especially during the era of Atilla and became determinant factor in the Balkan policy of East Roman Empire for almost an age. However, East Roman Empire pulled through a big danger in 453 with the death of Atilla, powerful emperor of European Hun Empire.As for in the 6th Century, Avars, founded a powerful state taking Slavs under their obedience and expanded their borders in Balkans. Thus, East Roman Empire that had wars with Iran during that period fell into a very hard situation. In the era of Emperor Heraklios (610- 641) , it was expected to make peace with Avars and deal with Iran; however, Avars surrounded Istanbul allying with Iran. When Avars, who could not succeed in this surround, started to weaken because of the riots of the clans under its obedience, East Roman Empire felt relieved and got over the danger from another Clan. However, East Roman Empire didn?t succeed because of Islam conquests that started in the middle of 7th Century although it caught the opportunity of founding its old supremacy in Balkans.At the end of 7th Century, when the Bulgarian at their Turkish originated leader Aspurah?s command came to Balkan Peninsula, East Roman Empire came across a novel and strong Bulgarian State. At the end of 8th Century, East Roman Emperor, 5th Konstantin (741-775), who took advantage of the disorders in Islam World demoralised the military power of the Bulgarian with one after another military expedition. Krum Han that inherited the Bulgarian throne in 802 made a drastic strike on this success of East Roman Empire. However, with the sudden death of Krum, East Roman Empire managed to overcome this peril. Afterwards, the relationship between the Bulgarian and East Roman Empire going through a long run peaceful period became tense in the era of Char Symeon that ascended the Bulgarian throne in 893. After the death of Char Symeon in 927; while Bulgaria succumbed to the East Roman Empire, the influence of the empire began to strengthen in the Balkans. Over the ending of the peaceful period in the era of Emperor Nikephoros Phokas(963-969), the East Roman Empire applied to Svyatoslav the Russian Monarch. Thereupon, having defeated the Bulgarians, the Russians occupied Bulgaria in a short time. However, this time East Roman Empire that followed a wrong policy confronted Russia as a powerful hostile. Between 976 and 1014, even though Samuel re-founded the Bulgarian State, Emperor II.Basileios(976-1025) put an absolute end to the Bulgarian State in 1014 following the long lasting battles. Thus, the Balkan Peninsula ended up coming under the domination of the East Roman Empire. While the whole thing was being experienced, between the 6th and 10th centuries during almost four centuries, the Hazars, playing a main role in the history of Eastern Europe, mostly acted allying with the Empire in the Iran and Balkan policy of the East Roman Empire. Therefore, they appeared in the flow of history.Key Words: Rome, East Roman Empire, the Huns, the Avars, the Bulgarian, the Hazars, the Balkans?