On November 11 in front of the entrance of Bulgarian National Television the leader of “The Party of Bulgarian Men” Rozen Markov set himself on fire to protest against broadcasting news in Turkish on that channel. Markov’s act attracted the attention of international press, different media agencies, newspapers, TV channels (including Armenian). This act once more put on the agenda the issue of the Bulgarian Turks. The community which made a good progress and, being isolated at some extend in the Soviet period, activated fast during “perestroika” and since 1990 has taken a strong and stable place in the political system of Bulgaria. The party “Movement for Rights and Freedoms” established by Bulgarian Turks had been a part of coalition government in 2002-2009. The number of Bulgarian Turks in Bulgaria (which population is 8 million) is about 800 thousand. Despite the 10% index, the party of Bulgarian Turks depending on the results of the elections has 30-38 of 240 mandates of the Bulgarian parliament. I.e. in the proportional correlation the Turkish presence in the legislative body is bigger that on its territory. This unprecedented success of the Turkish party is conditioned by two key factors: firstly, the votes of the whole Turkish population of country go to one party, meanwhile the votes of the Bulgarians and many other ethnic groups are divided between dozens of parties, and in a consequence the Turkish party secures comparatively higher result. The second reason is the behind-the-scenes support of the state. Particularly, during the parliamentary elections in 2005 Turks who have double citizenship were brought by buses from Turkey to Bulgaria. They took part in the elections at their polling stations thus trying to secure the victory of the “Movement for Rights and Freedoms” party candidates. Ankara also initiated such an attempt during the parliamentary elections on 5 June, 2009, but when the bus column going to Bulgaria from Turkey approached the frontier post “Capitan Andreno” it was met by about 200 Bulgarian demonstrators. The participants of that demonstration, which was arranged on the initiative of Bulgarian nationalist “Ataka” party, demonstrated against the interference of Ankara, which was becoming traditional, into the parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. The demonstrators chanted “Turks go back to Anatolia”, “Turks, get out”, “We don’t need janissaries here” and others. When the activists of “Ataka” tried to pelt the “Turkish special mission” with bottles and other things the police interfered and the encounter took place. The leader of “Ataka” Volen Siderov stated that “Turkish state sponsors the dispatch of Turks (citizens of Bulgaria) from Turkey to Bulgaria”. By the way on this incident’s example one can sum up all the developments regarding Turkish community in Bulgaria for recent years: while political and social activity of the Turkish side continues, gradually the inner tension becomes more vivid. The most politically active power resisting the movement is the aforementioned “Ataka”. The name of the party in Bulgarian, just like in Russian, means “attack”, and has distinct anti-Turkish orientation. The name of the party symbolizes “the attack against Turkish expansion”. At the parliamentary elections “Ataka” usually wins about 20 mandates thus taking 3rd-4th places. “Ataka” run in parliamentary elections with a number of sharp anti-Turkish” slogans, one of which was “There is no place for Turkey in the EU”. “If we just seat and do not act the way the Bulgarian patriots have to, then one fine day they will, undoubtedly, occupy our country”, - said Volen Siderov during the electoral campaign. The following indicator also speaks about the activity of Bulgarian Turks and the resistance being formed in the country: according to Reuters Agency for the recent 19 years 323 mosques have been built in Bulgaria and the means for a part of those mosques were raised through the donations by privates (Turks) or different Turkish structures. Generally, the number of mosques in Bulgaria approaches to 2000. At the same time for recent years the attacks on the mosques have become more frequent: for the recent 3 years there have been about 100 attacks on the Turkish mosques in Bulgaria. In 2008 it was banned to wear hijab in the universities. The Reuters quotes the Turkish public figure Mustafa Yumer saying that “the anxiety is growing inside the Turkish community” as connected with, as he said “the activity of the radical right parties”. Let us mention that the activity of the Turkish party and resistance movement in Bulgaria influences also the issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in Bulgaria. The legislative body of Bulgaria has already twice put forward and rejected the decision condemning the Armenian Genocide – in May 2006 and in January 2008. This, in fact, is the unique case when the document connected with the Armenian Genocide is rejected. For the last 10 years there has been no such a case when the document condemning the Armenian Genocide has been put forward and rejected by voting. The initiator of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in the parliament was “Ataka” party. At the same time when on 25 April, 2007 the deputy of the parliament from “The National Movement Simeon II” Ruben Krikoryan offered to hold a moment of silence for the victims of the Armenian Genocide all the members of Turkish party walked out in protest. By the way, at that time the Turkish party formed a political coalition with Socialist Party and “The National Movement Simeon II”. Speaking about that incident the leader of “Ataka” said: “In the ruling coalition there is party which protects the interests of Turkey. The representatives of that party do not respect the memory of 1.5 million Armenians”. And the deputy from “Bulgarian National Union” Boyko Vatev stated that it was time for Bulgaria to recognize the Armenian Genocide and to consider the mass killings of the Bulgarians by the Ottoman army in 1903 in Bulgarian Ilinden settlement as the genocide. Summarizing the theme of the Turkish political activity in Bulgaria it can be concluded that different events directed to restrict the activity of Turkish party and to restrain the attempts of Ankara to control the Bulgarian Turks and this, of course, will be accompanied by the growing anxiety and protest of Turkish party. It is not excluded that the Turkish activists may turn to the European Court or international court instances to protect their rights. The Armenian issue will also play its role in this process. By the joint efforts of the Armenian community and supporting parties, particularly “Ataka”, for the recent 3 years the process of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on local levels has been initiated. The Armenian Genocide has already been recognized in more than 10 Bulgarian cities: Varna, Stara Zagora, Ruse, Batak, Silistra, Vidin, Plovdiv and others. Haykaram Nahapetyan NORAVANK

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