A study of the Bulgarian-Turkish relations prompted by 'Annyong Kimchee' (1999) - a film regarding the identity of Koreans in Japan.
'Annyong Kimchee' is an autobiographical documentary by Tetsuaki Matsue, a Korean-Japanese, trying to explore his own identity. The film deals with the consequences of the Japanese colonisation of Korea between 1910 and 1945, when Koreans were forced to assume Japanese names and speak Japanese as a result of the the country's assimilation strategies.
In the years between 1956 and 1989, years of communism, when political leader was Todor Zhivkov, Bulgaria adopted a similar assimilation policy towards Muslims and/or Turks in the country. This policy was pursued with more or less intensity, as the most widespread wave was the 'Revival Process', which lasted in the years between 1984 and 1989, ending with the fall of communism.
The 'Revival Process' was a period of time during which all the ethnic Turks living in Bulgaria were forced to assume Slavic names and the wearing of Turkish clothing and the use of Turkish language was banned. The idea behind the process was to 'claim back' the Bulgarian population that had been conversed or assimilated during the period of the Ottoman rule, supposedly restoring their original, 'real' identity.
As in the case of the suppresed Korean population, where as a result of its harsh treatment its nationalism was awakened, the 'Revival Process' was only the beginning of delicate Bulgarian-Turkish relations that seriously affect Bulgaria today.
The outcomes of the 'Revival Process' were big demonstrations that took place in May 1989 and were violently suppressed by the Bulgarian military. Then followed several bomb attacks on Bulgarian railway stations. As a result, Todor Zhivkov gave a speech in which he stated that everyone who does not want to live in Bulgaria will be free to emigrate to Turkey and the neighbour country was appealed to open its border for 'all Muslims living in Bulgaria'. The event was called the 'Big Excursion' by the media, as about 360,000 Bulgarian citizens emigrated. Although the correlation between the 'Revival Process' and the 'Big Excursion' is often argued, it is definite that the emigration of Bulgarian Turks came as a result of the Turkish suppresion within the borders of our country.
How is history going to justify those decisions and whose fault were the Turkish victims and the 360,000 people who had to leave their own country?
The way we know it is that people from the Turkish population asked for autonomy. Given that the number of that population in Bulgaria was quite big, there was enough reason behind their claims. But Bulgaria is a multi-ethnic country and the government feared that if autonomy was given, other big ethnic groups will ask for that as well. Was that fear justified? Maybe. Was it not one of the reasons that many countries withdrew themselves from the conflict with the autonomy of Kosovo from Serbia, as they feared similar situations within their own borders?
Whether or not history is going to judge Todov Zhivkov harshly for making the decisions he made or not, the outcomes of those decisions have reflections in Bulgaria as it is today.
To begin with, there are speculations that Ahmed Dogan, current leader of the Turkish party within the Bulgarian parliament, was the instigator of those claims for autonomy, as he is known to have taken part in movements against the 'Revival Process'. A figure, which was later on discovered to have been a secret internal agent of the Comittee for State Security (the Bulgarian secret service) which existed during the Communist regime. A figure, that has been evaluated by its recruitors as one of their most valuable agents - determined, analytical, effective, 'a talented young man who is ready to sell his soul in the name of life success'. A figure, that has been part of the Bulgarian government for 20 years...
But more importantly, the consequences are within the relations between Bulgarians and Turkish, within the attitudes by both parties towards each other.
Bulgarians, on the one side, feels vastly invaded by the Turkish people, as they take a ruling part in the government, which position they receive through votes by thousands of eligible voting population with double citizenship - people who have not been born and do not even live in Bulgaria. And, additionally, having news in Turkish on Bulgarian national television does not help those attitudes. Not to mention the 500-year slavery, which tends to influence our general view towards our neighbouring nation...
Bulgarian Turks, on the other side, have been lied to and manipulated, and are being even now threatened by powerful leaders like Ahmed Dogan himself that there will be a new 'Revival Process' started by the Bulgarian government. People, who do not want nothing more than their own freedoms and rights within their country of origin, regardless of their religion or ethnic background. People, who just like the population of Kosovo, Quebec and Tibet probably have the right to desire their autonomy.
Who is right and who is wrong?
My Australian friend often asks me what I base my discrimination and negative attitudes on - and the answer is often patriotism. Forget the slavery, forget the war. If any ethnic group had a seat in the parliament, had news in their own language on national television and had a voting power of hundreds of people that have not been born in the country, do not live in it and do not speak the language - I would feel threatened. And anyone from any country would feel threatened. It is not discrimination, it is the sense of 'owning' your own country.
How would the Germans feel if the big group of Turkish population within their borders wanted autonomy?
How would the English feel if the third generation Indian people born in England wanted news in their own language on BBC?
At the end of the day, it should not be a question of personal discrimination based on history.
As my mother says, we should air Turkish news on Bulgarian national television, but we should also air news in the languages of all the different ethnic groups within, as well. Bulgaria is, after all, an ethnic-tolerant country.
'If you want to perceive Turkey as your motherland and appreaciate your culture and your roots in another country, do. Say you're Turkish, just like Bulgarians in the world don't deny their nationality. But if you are a third generation Bulgarian citizen with Turkish roots you can't claim autonomy. If you want to live in Turkey, go live in Turkey.'
Sources:
http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/round-up_005.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_in_Bulgaria#The_.22Revival_Process.22
http://europe.actualno.com/news_309074.html
http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Koreans-in-Japan.html
http://ivanbedrov.com/?p=919#more-919
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=14090170141&topic=3111
http://bulgaria1989.wordpress.com/2010/02/12
http://thebigexcursion.blogspot.com/2009/09/20.html
http://ivanbedrov.com/?tag=%D0%B2%D1%8A%D0%B7%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B5%D1%81
http://forum.aboutbulgaria.biz/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=12575&start=0Labels: articles |
created by: anty
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Really good article! A very interesting read on its own, and the fact that I completely share your point of view, made reading it even more enjoyable. Two thumbs up!
An enlightening read that was really interesting for me- a reader with little knowledge of the particular cultural references you speak of.
It's also sad to read that exclusionaist and discriminatory behaviour within government regimes is more prevalent than we often admit ( you can include Australia's treatment of it's indigenous population amoung them)
I know you often say that you are not interested in politics but this is certainly political, no? If we don't understand our history we are doomed to repeat it...
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Really good article! A very interesting read on its own, and the fact that I completely share your point of view, made reading it even more enjoyable. Two thumbs up!