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A commemoration ceremony was held in the village of Mogilyane in Bulgaria for 18-month-old Turkan Feyzullah, who was killed during protests against the forced assimilation campaign targeting the Turkish minority under the country’s communist regime in 1984.
The ceremony took place beside the memorial site known as “Turkan Fountain,” where participants paid tribute to Feyzullah and to other victims of the period. The 1984–1989 ''Revival Process'' campaign sought to compel ethnic Turks to adopt Slavic names and suppress their cultural identity, leading to widespread unrest and protests in several regions.
The event was attended by Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Zafer Sirakaya, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Sofia Mehmet Sait Uyanik, TRT Board Chairman and Bursa Uludag University Rector Professor Ferudun Yilmaz, Türkiye’s Consul General in Plovdiv Emre Manav, Chief Mufti of Bulgaria Mustafa Alis Haci, political representatives, civil society leaders and members of the local community.
During the ceremony, Sirakaya read a message sent by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who described Feyzullah as a symbol of the Turkish community’s resistance to oppression. Erdogan stated: “We remember with mercy our little Turkan Feyzullah, who was martyred 41 years ago by the bullets of a totalitarian regime. Although she was only 18 months old, she became a symbol of our people’s struggle against pressure and injustice.”
The president emphasized that the Republic of Türkiye would continue to support the security, welfare and cultural rights of its kin communities abroad.
Ambassador Uyanik noted that Feyzullah was among those who lost their lives while resisting the assimilation policies enforced under the leadership of Todor Jivkov. He underlined that the presence of Turks in Bulgaria as “equal and dignified citizens” today was made possible through the sacrifices of martyrs and veterans of that period.
He also stressed the importance of unity among Bulgaria’s Turks and Muslims, regardless of political differences.
Addressing the participants, TRT Board Chairman Yilmaz, who was born in Bulgaria, recalled the difficulties and injustices experienced by the Turkish community during the assimilation campaign, which sought to eliminate Turkish names and cultural identity.
The ceremony concluded with the reading of poems dedicated to Feyzullah and prayers offered for all victims of the period.
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