Can a Slavic Entity Emerging in Anatolia?

Before the advent of Asparukh and his Bulgars into the Balkans, the Byzantines were in constant conflict with the Slavic tribes, with Mauice's Balkan Campaigns against the Avars and Slavs. The most notable event is the resettlement of Slavs from the Balkans into Anatolia at a place called Gordoservon during the reign of Constans II (the father of Constantine IV, the Emperor who had to acknowledge the emergence of Danube Bulgaria). Could a Slavic entity or state emerge in Anatolia, possibly led by one of the resettled South Slavic tribes (like the Serbs, the Samos, the Seven Tribes of Moesia, etc)?
 
Its funny, I've often had an interest in doing a similar timeline. I don't have a distinct POD, but the timeline would involve the Serbs being able to take Constantinople (somehow) and having their King take the position of Emperor, and then settling central Anatolia with Slavic immigrants.

As I've said, I haven't developed the idea past the most basic stages, but it strikes me as it would make for a fun timeline.
 
Avars take Constantinople?

Interesting. It pretty much presupposs that the Avars, if they survive, become alt-Bulgarians; i.e. a Turkish nobility that is slavicized by the population they rule over (which, from my reading, is what was happening in any case before the coming of the Magyars.) That would certainly work well, I suppose.

My reason for going with the Serbs is just that I think it would be more interesting if it occurred a bit later on in history, and the Serbs sort of become alt-Turks (of course, coming from the other direction).

In any case, the Anatolian plains would, I think, be perfect fodder for colonization by any invading power, due to their lower population. If think if any Slavic state was to become the successor of Byzantium, they would likely award lands in this region to their supporters and we could definitely see a Slavic Anatolia after a century or three.
 
The thing is, the Byzantines often resettled Slavs living in the Balkans to Anatolia. So could we see a similar analogue to the rise of the Turkish Sultanates in a Slavic kingdom? You'd probably have the entire South Slavic tribes being deported en masse.

And for this to happen, the Avars would have to lose in the later stage of their conflicts against the Byzantines. Now let's just think of how the Slavs will build a feasible state in western Anatolia. What kind of cultural makeup will it have, and how will Slavic Anatolia deal with its neighbors, like the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Persians and Armenians?
 
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Another question would be, who gets to lead this Slavic state in Anatolia if there will be several tribes that are being resettled? Or would it require a charismatic leader on the same level as Seljuq or even Rurik to pull off a unified Slavic entity in Anatolia?
 
Well, if the Byzantines never stood in the way then it likely would have happened even better then Celtic and Gaulish incursions into the region.
 
We do know that the Celts at one point had stayed in the Balkans, but I don't know if they reached Anatolia though.

Oh yea they totally demolished several Hellenistic armies during the diodachi period, I believe a few tribes broed up with the Thracians to raid and sell their swords.
 
And Galitia is in the Balkans, right? Although I wonder if there is more than one PoD for a Slavic Anatolia though, and how big can it get?
 
And Galitia is in the Balkans, right? Although I wonder if there is more than one PoD for a Slavic Anatolia though, and how big can it get?

Central Anatolia. About 10,000 Gauls crossed over an they received on and off population immigrants from Thrace and from Mercenaries that revolted.
map_galatia.jpg
 
When I looked up Galatia on google, it gave me the location of OTL Galicia. Then I looked at that map and realized my mistake. Central Anatolia seems to be a fertile ground for a suitable nation building though.
 
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