Bulgaria Authorities Take down Turkish Soldier Monument

The monument of the Unknown Turkish Soldier was dismantled late Wednesday, the Mayor of the village of Slavyanovo told Darik radio.

The monument was taken down by the use of heavy equipment around 10:30 pm Wednesday.

The monument in the village of Slavyanovo is financed by the notorious Yuzeir Yuzeirov, and stirred large public and political outcry. It was declared illegal by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the city of Targovishte and Yuzeirov was given an order to dismantle it.

On Wednesday the authorities explained they were waiting for the 14-day appeal period before undertaking any action. If the decision is not appealed, they said, the monument will be taken down next Monday.

The Mayor, Vassil Stoylov, said he had not seen the machine just the pile of rocks left behind the monument, adding he did not know who took the monument down, but believed it was the authorities.

Stoylov also explained the villagers have not shown any particular interest neither in the monument nor its dismantling, something that clearly demonstrated ethnic tensions did not have roots in Slavyanovo.

The brothers Ali and Yuzeir Yuzeirovi founded over the weekend a new Muslim party “Muslim Democratic Union,” which proved to be a very controversial move. Ali Yuzeirov was elected party chair. The new party was founded in Slavyanovo, an area largely populated by ethnic Turks, but is yet to be registered.

Yuzeir Yuzeirov is a native from the northern village, but has international business for the trade of chicken meat and spends most of his time in Belgium. He says the party will be financed by funds from businesses of its members.

In addition to the Muslim party, Yuzeir Yuzeirov has been involved in more controversy. He is the founder of the "Club for Friendship and Brotherhood" in Slavyanovo, and founder and leader of the "Bulgarian Red Crescent," an organization the Bulgarian Red Cross says is illegal, according to the Geneva Convention.

The Red Cross says the existence of the Crescent in Bulgaria is a precedent because a country can only have either a Red Cross or a Red Crescent, never both.

The Red Crescent headquarters are in Slavyanovo as well. The building housing it and the Club has a cross and a crescent painted on its walls.

Another controversy involves the monument of the "Unknown Turkish Soldier," also located in Slavyanovo and financed by Yuzeirov.