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File photo Bulgarians rallying in 1989 in support of the Revival Process. The slogan carried reads "We Support the Statement of Comrade Todor Zhivkov". Zhivkov's statement called for the ousting of ethnic Turkish Bulgarian citizens from the country.
The Bulgarian Parliament refused to consider voting on a declaration against the shameful 1980s 'Revival Process', during which ethnic Turkish Bulgarian citizens were forced to change their names or relocate to Turkey.
The proposal for such a declaration to be included in the parliamentary agenda came from Blue Coalition MP and Parliament Vice-Speaker Ekaterina Mihaylova.
The motion garnered a massive number of abstentions, so it did not pass. Among the parties interested in such a motion are the Blue Coalition's Democrats for Strong Bulgaria and Union of Democratic forces, but first and foremost the liberal Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which is seen as promoting the interests of ethnic Turkish Bulgarian nationals.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party has an uncomfortable historical position regarding the 'Revival Process', as it is an heir to the Bulgarian Communist Party, under the leadership of which the process was carried out.
Among other parliamentary parties in Bulgaria, the nationalists Ataka do not quite see the need to put forward such a declaration. Ataka and the Blue Coalition are the two backing supporters of the current GERB cabinet, which relies on a large minority of 117 GERB MPs out of 240 and thus has to also count on backing from either Ataka or the Blues.
The so-called 'Revival Process' emerged at a time when socialist values appeared to be losing ground among Bulgarians and the leaders of the ruling Communist Party attempted to misconceivedly to up the nationalist agenda and rhetoric.
As part of this 'process', which started in 1984, ethnic Turkish Bulgarian citizens were forced by authorities to adopt Bulgarian-sounding names. The use of the Turkish language was discouraged, as was the practising of Turkish and Muslim traditions.
This affected over 850,000 persons. More than 350,000 were effectively deported to neighboring Turkey in the summer of 1989. Dozens died in the upheavals.
Bulgaria has yet to come to terms with that shameful event in its recent history.
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