The “Turkish Wing” of the Independent Society of Human Rights Protection

Abstract

The paper relates in first person about the motivation, participants, organizing and enlarging the Turkish resistance movement against the assimilation actions of the Bulgarian communist regime from the 1980s. From the inside point of view are narrated the processes of the resistance of the Turks and Muslims against the attempts to change their names and violent Bulgarisation. In details are followed the actions concerning the voicing of the repressions of the regime against the Muslims, starving strikes as symbols of resistance, the participation of Turks in the Independent Society of Human Rights Protection and the establishment of „Turkish section“ to it.The paper relates about the role of the radio for the „voiceless“ minorities suffering from the repressions of the totalitarian regime. The importance of the Western radio stations as the only hope for penetration of news about the dissident movement in the socialist countries in the 1970s – 1980s has been outlined. The radio stations played also the role of coordinating centre for the resistance of the Turks and Muslims in Bulgaria during 1985-1989.