Balgarianovinite.com 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. Parties Pay Tribute to Victims of Revival Process on 41st Anniversary of December Events 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-26 13:22:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
