Not exactly. He simply officialized it.
At 1893, the Bulgarians of Macedonia decided to create a Union out of Bulgaria, in Macedonia, for promotting the annexation of Macedonia to the Bulgarian lands. They created famous VMRO. The council had taken place in Thessaloniki. All famous future SlavoSkopian heroes were there: Gruev, Delcev, .... Krste Tatarcheff (what a Macedonian surname!) was elected as leader. Amongst other decisions, the council decided to raise the banner "Macedonia to the Macedonians". "We did believe that an autonomous Macedonia would be easily incorporated in Bulgaria, just like Eastern Roumelia, 8 years earlier", Tatrcheff wrote.
After that, all Bulgarians of Macedonia were 'advised' to claim Macedonian. Even some parts of other ethnic groups were attracted by the banner and joined Bulgarians. At the biggining, Bulgarians were soft about pushing population of Macedonia to join them. But the results were poor and soon they started violence. The game has been lost.
The point is that some of inhabitants of Macedonia did belive that they were Macedonians or ellaborated that claim, despite they knew that they were Macedonian nothing. Anyway ALL educated Bulgarians and ALL leaders of the movement for an autonomous Macedonian knew the truth pretty well. This is proven by that:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/415923/message/1126215175
After Ilinden uprising fails, Bulgarian leaders of Macedonia left the country for Bulgaria. At 1913, Bulgaria led its troops to Polis instead of Macedonia where Bulgarian peoples were living. They wanted to restore Byzantine Empire under their leadership. So, they lost Macedonia. The Greeks of Macedonia were happy for getting united with mother Greece, while Bulgarians where under Serbian occupation. Thus, 'Macedonian' identity was a resort for them against Serbian violations.
After WWII, Tito, leader of Yugoslavia, separated the country in six federative republics. He baptized the southern one as "Socialist Federative Rep of Macedonia" or simply 'Macedonia" for political reasons:
1. He wanted to cut the ties that the population had with Bulgarian mother. Thus, instead of Bulgarian unimportant identity, the population was proud to claim ties with shining Macedonian one.
2. He raised clear conspiracies over Greek and Bulgarian lands. He ellaborated over the old dream of Panslavism to have an exit to the hot (aegean) waters through Thessaloninki, Macedonian capital. He wanted to be Emperor of balkans. He wanted to threat Greece and Bulgaria ceaselessly. Just what SlavoSkopians do today. He asked from his friend Stalin to push Bulgaria for 'macedonizing' the population of Pirin in Bulgaria. Bulgaria, being in the wrong part (always and ) in WWII and under communist control couldn't deny.
Greece reacted (look at UN decisions) but being destroyed by WWII and Civil war she couldn't do big thing.
But at 1948, Tito and Stalin friendship crashed down and poor Greece was pushed by her 'allies' to support Tito by not setting up the problem of the name. Tito couldn't change again the name of SFRM back to Vardarska banovina.
Tito, being a dictator, had no problem to implement the new identity to the population of SFRM. Poor SlavoSkopians and poor Greeks!
Today we Greeks have no problem with modern identity of SlavoSkopians. But we cannot call it "Macedonian" because it is Macedonian nothing and because we have this name the last 3000 for a Greek identity. We cannot allow any non-Greek people monopolizing the name of Macedonia, just like Germany cannot allow any Slavic people monopolizing the name of Bavaria.
Istor
Solun or Thessaloniki?
Conflict about Macedonian name