1815 raised Turkish fears that Russia might again intervene in the Balkans. To avoid this the sultan agreed to make Serbia suzerain – a semi-independent state nominally responsible to the Porte. Ottoman Serbs Ottoman Serbs, who were Serbian Orthodox Christian, belonged to the Rum Millet (millet-i Rûm, "Roman Nation"). Although a separate Serbian millet (Sırp Milleti) was not officially recognized during Ottoman rule, the Serbian Church was the legally confirmed representative organization of the Serbs in the Ottoman Empire. See also Serbia in the Middle Ages Byzantine Serbia References Sources [missing link] Zirojević, O. (1974) Tursko vojno uređenje u Srbiji, 1459–1683. Beograd: Istorijski institut Islam in Serbia 15th-century establishments in Serbia 1912 disestablishments in Serbia Serbia Serbia States and territories established in 1459 States and territories disestablished in 1912 Occupation of Serbia