24th Anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement in North Macedonia
24th Anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement in North Macedonia
This constitution imposed certain restrictions on the rights of minority groups in the country, especially Albanians.
It has been 24 years since the signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA) in 2001, which ended internal unrest in North Macedonia.
At that time, in what was then called Macedonia, the first constitution adopted after the country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 without war imposed certain limitations on the rights of minority groups, particularly Albanians.
Albanians, demanding the right to higher education in their native language, established their own universities in 1994.
After this movement, which was not supported by the government at the time, the police demolished the university building. In the ensuing clash, one person lost their life and many others were injured.
Albanians also insisted on the use of their flag and, in 1997, raised their own flags on municipal buildings in Gostivar and Tetovo, where they lived in large numbers. However, government officials declared this action illegal and removed the flags. Police intervention led to further arrests and fatalities.
The Road to the Ohrid Framework Agreement
The path to the Ohrid Framework Agreement began with internal conflicts on January 22, 2001, when a group of armed Albanians attacked a police station in the village of Tearce near Tetovo in northwestern North Macedonia. One police officer was killed, and three others were injured. The attack was claimed by a group called the National Liberation Army (NLA).
The clashes continued in other cities across the country with varying intensity during the spring months.
On July 5, under the mediation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and NATO, a general ceasefire agreement was reached, although both sides violated it multiple times afterward.
These events, which some describe as a “civil war” and lasted from January 22 to November 12, 2001, resulted in hundreds of deaths from both sides and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.
The conflicts continued in the northern and northwestern regions of the country, as well as near the capital, Skopje, with incidents of violence occurring in various cities.
The Ohrid Framework Agreement
On August 13, 2001, the country’s largest political parties signed the Ohrid Framework Agreement in the southwestern city of Ohrid, after approximately two months of negotiations, in the presence of special representatives from the European Union (EU) and the United States.
While the agreement ended the clashes, it also created a starting point to enhance the rights of ethnic Albanians in the country. The agreement included provisions on the official status of the Albanian language, local governance, non-discrimination, fair representation, language, culture, education, symbols, and special parliamentary procedures.
As part of this, the “Law on the Use of Languages,” approved by the North Macedonian Parliament on January 11, 2018, made Albanian an official language alongside Macedonian, and it officially became the second state language across the country on January 15, 2019.
Additionally, it was decided that any language spoken by over 20% of the population in a municipality would also be recognized as an official language. Accordingly, Turkish became an official language in several municipalities with a significant Turkish population.
To implement the agreement, a secretariat responsible for the Ohrid Framework Agreement was established in 2004 as part of the government. It later became the Ministry of Political System and Inter-Community Relations, and following changes last year, it was renamed the Ministry of Inter-Community Relations.
Turks in the Ohrid Framework Agreement
The Turks, who make up approximately 4% of the country’s population, believe that “their rights have not been adequately provided” despite the years that have passed since the agreement.
North Macedonian Turks, who consider themselves one of the founding elements of the country, seek greater representation at both local and state levels.
They emphasize that the Ohrid Framework Agreement should be revised to include them as the “third largest community in North Macedonia.”
Demographic Structure of North Macedonia
According to the population, household, and housing census conducted in September 2021, North Macedonia has a population of 1,836,713.
North Macedonian Turks constitute 3.86% of the population, ranking third.
Macedonians account for 58.44%, Albanians 24.3%, Roma 2.53%, Serbs 1.3%, Bosniaks 0.87%, and Vlachs 0.47% of the population.
Those categorized as “other,” including various ethnic groups, make up 1.03%, while data obtained from administrative sources accounted for 7.2%.
The previous census in the country had been conducted in 2002.