Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Mogilyane honours victims of assimilation campaign

Photo: BTA

The 40th anniversary of protests by Bulgarian Turks against the so-called "revival process" (a forced assimilation campaign during communism in which people of Turkish descent were ordered to change their names and adopt Bulgarian ones - ed) was commemorated with a large rally near the village of Mogilyane.

Among those present at the rally were representatives of the four main parties in Turkey, Ankara's Consul General in Plovdiv Korhan Kungeru and Mustafa Kara of the Turkish Embassy in Sofia, BTA reported. In his speech, the leader of the Democracy, Rights and Freedoms (DPS) parliamentary group, Jevdet Chakurov, remembered 17-month-old Türkan, the youngest innocent victim of the name change campaign, 16-year-old Mümün from the village of Raven, 17-year-old Sezgin and many other victims of the forced assimilation campaign. 

On 26 December 1984, the authorities violently dispersed a demonstration by the people of Mogilyane. When the Bulgarian militia opened fire on the demonstrators, a stray bullet hit a 17-month-old Turkish girl, killing her. Her death provoked a strong reaction from the Turkish community. A fountain was later built in Türkan's memory.





Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

 Petar Teodosiev

Bulgarian scientists start work on a project for cleaner transport and energy

From the beginning of 2025, Bulgarian scientists will work on a large-scale project related to hydrogen and hydrogen technologies to help develop cleaner transport and energy, science communicator Petar Teodosiev said in an interview for BNR.  In his..

published on 12/24/24 4:26 PM
Professor Rumen Popov

The number of blood donors increases

One thousand more blood donations were made in the past year at the Center for Transfusion Hematology of the Military Medical Academy, the medical institution reported. "The number of blood donors exceeded 7,000 – half of them are civilian..

published on 12/24/24 3:53 PM

Ten babies have been born in 2024 under the donor program of Sofia Municipality

Ten babies have been born in the past year under the donor program of Sofia Municipality to support families with reproductive problems. Among them there are two pairs of twins. Baby Mihaela took its first breath yesterday. Her parents received..

published on 12/24/24 2:07 PM