site.btaUPDATED Parties Pay Tribute to Victims of Revival Process on 41st Anniversary of December Events

Representatives of several political parties and public organizations paid tribute this week to the victims of the so-called Revival Process, marking the 41st anniversary of the December events linked to resistance against the forced assimilation of Bulgaria’s Muslim minority during the communist period. 

On Friday, Yes, Bulgaria party co-chairs Bozhidar Bozhanov and Ivaylo Mirchev laid flowers at the Turkan fountain in southern Bulgaria in memory of the victims. In a Facebook post, Bozhanov said they honoured the dignity and suffering of Bulgarians of Turkish origin who stood up for freedom and democracy. He stressed that terms such as “Revival Process” and “Big Excursion” conceal the true nature of the totalitarian regime, recalling that even children, including 18-month-old Turkan, lost their lives. Bozhanov added that society must ensure such events never happen again and that divisions are not exploited for political purposes. 

Commemorative events were also held at Turkan fountain and attended by representatives of MRF - New Beginning, diplomats from Turkiye, local mayors, and representatives of expatriate organizations. Among the speakers was MRF - New Beginning deputy chair Iskra Mihaylova, who said the victims were people who had stood up for rights, unity and humanity despite repression. Messages calling for unity, tolerance and dialogue were voiced, alongside political statements related to the party’s leadership and future direction.

Turkiye’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Mehmet Uyanik, Turkiye’s Consul General in Plovdiv Emre Manav, and Zafer Sarikaya, deputy chair of Turkiye’s Justice and Development Party, who read a message from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also addressed the gathering in Mogilyane.

Velichie party members were in Kardzhali for a memorial service for the 18-month-old Turkan, killed in 1984. In a press release, Velichie said that the case of Turkan is a tragic example of how the State apparatus forcibly changes the will of the people and takes human life. "Unfortunately, even today, the State continues to take away the future of our children. Represented by [GERB leader] Boyko Borissov and [MRF - New Beginning leader] Delyan Peevski, it does the same to both the minority and the majority. Not through open violence, but through drugs, gambling, and deprivation of social rights. This creates uneducated, dependent, and submissive people," the press release reads. That is why it is important to remember and fight against tyranny and inhumanity in all their forms. Remembering Turkan and all others like her means defending freedom, human dignity, and the right to choose for all, Velichie also said.

On Thursday, representatives of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) laid flowers and wreaths at the monument to Turkan in Mogilyane, also marking the 41st anniversary of the December events. ARF co-chairs Taner Ali, Sevim Ali and Hayri Sadakov said the commemoration was both an act of remembrance and an appeal for respect for human dignity and democratic rights. They noted that APS chose to hold its tribute a day earlier in order to avoid creating tensions and allow people to pay their respects freely.

Further commemorations in memory of the victims of the Revival Process are planned in several settlements in the region, including Momchilgrad and a number of villages in Kardzhali Province.

The Revival Process involved the forced change of names of ethnic Turks and Muslim Roma in Bulgaria in the 1980s and sparked widespread resistance, culminating in the December 1984 events in southern Bulgaria.