Bulgarian Turks recall painful memories of persecution

KIRKLARELI/EDIRNE, Turkey

Bulgarian Turks, who were persecuted in 1984-1989 on the grounds that they opposed an assimilation campaign against them in the country, cannot forget the suffering they endured.

Cemil Birtane, 73, and Kiymet Birtane, 70, migrated from Bulgaria to Turkey at the end of 1989 after Cemil spent four years and six months in prison and exile for opposing assimilation.

"We were tortured and beaten for one year and four months in the Belene Prison. Later, I was sent to another prison with 80 friends. After a year there, I was exiled to different villages in Bulgaria. I was released after four years and six months," said Cemil, recalling those years.

"They sent my clothes home and told my wife I was dead. She was told not to search for me anymore. Thank God I was released after these four years and six months and Bulgaria deported me," he added.

Cemil recounted that despite pressure from authorities, they continued to oppose the assimilation campaign in prison and went on hunger strikes with their companions, adding they also removed the Bulgarian names they were given from their bedside and wanted to keep their Turkish names.

Bulgarian authorities wanted to send Cemil and his family to Austria or Sweden, but he refused. He took refuge in the Turkish embassy in Belgrade, then in Yugoslavia.

"The Turkish Embassy sent us to a refugee camp for a week. I'm very happy we came to Turkey. We're very happy that we're were freed from persecution and pressures."

We did not give up on being Turkish whatever they said

Sukru Korkmaz, who came to Turkey 32 years ago and lives in the northwestern province of Edirne, could not hold back tears while retelling his story of migration.

Korkmaz said everyone who did not give up on being a "Turk" in Bulgaria was forced to migrate and were subjected to physical and psychological violence.

He said the most difficult time in his and his family's life was in Bulgaria, especially in the Belene Camp, adding that he could not forget his experiences there.

"We didn't give up on being Turkish, whatever they said. They told me: 'You’re blonde. You speak Bulgarian very well. You're Bulgarian. Ottomans forced you to be a Turk.' I and hundreds of others like me did not accept this," said Korkmaz.

"They sent us to the Belene camp. I stayed there for a year and a half. They locked us somewhere in the camp and never let us out.

"We couldn't change our clothes for months. We got lice, we smelled. We were under psychological and verbal abuse for months. They let me see my family after every six months. We could only see [each other] through glass. Thank God, we left that all behind."