This paper explores the role of Edirne as a symbol of Ottoman territorial integrity and sovereignty during the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. Edirne had always been an important Ottoman urban center, especially in the European territories of the Empire, because of its proximity to the (later) capital, ?stanbul, and its strategic location on the overland trade routes. It became a more significant urban center during the 19th century as the Ottoman Empire lost many of its European territories due to frequent wars and the rise of new nation-states in the Balkans. This experience gradually put Edirne at the western frontier of the Empire as the city was occupied by the Russian army in 1829 and during the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1877-78. During the Balkan Wars, Edirne was occupied by the Bulgarian army in March 1913 after a five month-long siege. The Balkan Wars resulted in a major and a final territorial loss for the Ottoman Empire in Europe, which included the Western Thrace. Edirne was recaptured by the Ottomans during the Second Balkan War and became the only remaining significant urban center in the Ottomans’ European territories and western borderlands. Throughout this turbulent time, first the loss and then the recapture of the city became a focal point of the public discourse. The members of the Young Turk Movement and the CUP leaders rallied for the recapture of Edirne after the city was retained by Bulgarians following the London Peace Treaty that ended the First Balkan War. I analyze diplomatic and military correspondence from the Ba?bakanl?k Ottoman and Genelkurmay Archives to highlight the importance of Edirne for Ottoman territorial integrity and sovereignty, and show how reclaiming the city by pushing west of the Midye-Enez line set by the European powers at the London Peace Conference became a priority for the Ottoman state. I also show how, after the city was recaptured and its fate was still uncertain awaiting the outcome of the peace negotiations between Ottomans, European powers and Balkan states after the Second Balkan War, it became important to document and collect data about the alleged Bulgarian atrocities on the Muslim populace under occupation to solidify Ottoman rule and influence the final settlement in Ottomans’ favor.