BULGARIA: RENEWED ASSIMILATION COMPAIGN AGAINST ETHNIC TURKS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T01058R000202420001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 20, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

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Central Intelligence Agency
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
20 February 1985
Bulgaria: Renewed Assimilation Campaign Against Ethnic Turks
SUMMARY
The Bulgarian government, at least since last
December, has renewed its longstanding effort to
assimilate its ethnic Turkish minority. The
campaign has resulted in more than 400 deaths,
mostly in the southwest and northeast sections of
the country. Official Turkish reaction to the
campaign has been cautious: the National Assembly
has debated the issue and Turkey may accept some
refugees. Western criticism apparently resulted
in some moderation in the severity of the campaign
in late January. But, given the potential
problems the Turkish minority poses for the
Zhivkov regime, there could be a revival in
repressive measures in the near term.
This memorandum was prepared by East European Division, Office 25X1
of European Analysis. Cawnents and questions are welcome and should be
addressed to Chief, East European Division, Office of European 25X1
Analysis, 25X1
CONF
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Introduction
The Zhivkov regime, at least since last December, has
stepped up its longstanding campaign to force assimilation of its
fast growing ethnic Turkish population. The Army and militia
have been summoned to control resulting violence, as well as to
continue the campaign to "Slavicize" names in heavily Turkish
regions around Kurdzhali and much of the northeastern section of
the country. Ankara has been playing down the issue, in sharp
contrast with the Turkish press. Zhivkov will try hard to avoid
any Western criticism of this latest repression, but he is not
likely to ease up significantly for long.
The Ethnic Turk Problem
Bulgaria's Turkish minority, comprising approximately 10
percent of the population, is made up of the descendants of
settlers who migrated to the area during the five centuries of
Ottoman rule. Mostly peasant farmers and artisans, few are
active in the political system or in other national
institutions.
The regime has had little success in assimilating this
especially fast-growing group, which it badly needs to augment
its stagnant labor force but which it fears as a serious threat
to national integration. The ethnic Turks, with an annual
population growth rate of 1.5 to 2 percent, are increasing their
numbers about ten times faster than Slavic Bulgarians. Since
1.977, some 60,000 of the country's roughly 850,000 Turks have
emigrated, which has further depleted the work force.
Central Issues
The ethnic Turk presence raises the following four distinct
problems for the Bulgarian government:
Nationalistic. Ethnic Turks, with their separate culture
and language and with their outright rejection of Slavic
nationalistic symbols, challenge the legitimacy of the Zhivkov
regime. Political and cultural nationalism has provided an
important source of legitimacy for the Zhivkov regime in the past
few years--especially while Zhivkov's late daughter Lyudmila
served as Chairman of the Committee for Art and Culture.
Political. The Turks also are perceived as presenting a
potential challenge to Bulgaria's constitutional underpinnings.
The Bulgarian constitution has no provision for regional autonomy
for its ethnic groups. It does, however, refer to the right of
"citizens of non-Bulgarian origin" to education in their own
language, a right not now observed by the government.
Economic. Most of Bulgaria's Turks live in backward rural
areas, and the cost to Sofia of developing those areas would be
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quite high. Moreover, Bulgaria's need for greater economic
efficiency in the future may generate pressures for economic
decentralization; which, in turn, might engender even greater
fears that ethnic Turks in outlying areas might eventually
challenge the Communist party's control.
Ideoloqical. The Turkish minority's language, customs, and
religion are perceived by the leadership as relics of pre-
communist rule and as conflicting with the regime's goal of
constructing the "new socialist man." Moreover, the spread of
Islamic fundamentalism casts the Turks' Islamic faith as a
potential. security problem. Bulgaria's leaders may fear that the
contagion of fundamentalism that has destabilized regimes
elsewhere could seriously undermine public order.
Government Policy
Bulgaria's policy toward the Turkish minority has been one
of public tolerance combined with private discrimination and
repression.
The secret police have penetrated the Turkish
population to ensure its continued passivity.
The Turkish language is no longer taught in the schools
and its use is prohibited in dealings with the
government.
The practice of Islam is officially discouraged and the
government frowns upon use of Turkish customs.
Few ethnic Turks serve in combat roles in the Bulgarian
armed forces; they are confined, instead, to segregated
labor brigades.
Ethnic Turks have not been given representation in
central party and state organs proportional to their
weight in the population. In 1983 only one.of 197 full
members of the Bulgarian Communist Party Central
Committee was Turkish, and no more than six of 139
candidate members and 14 of 400 National Assembly
members were Turkish.
Finally, ethnic Turks also receive few social
benefits. 25X1
The urgency with which Bulgaria has attempted to eradicate
the religion, language, and customs of the ethnic Turks has
fluctuated with changes in domestic policy and its bilateral
relations with Turkey. On two occasions since the beginning of
communist rule, in 1950 and 1968, Bulgaria actively encouraged
its Turkish minority to emigrate. But both Bulgaria and Turkey
appear to prefer gradual repatriation of Bulgarian Turks. The
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emiqration of a large number of ethnic Turks would exacerbate
Bulgaria's labor problems, while Turkey would resist accepting
too many poor immigrants at one time.
The Current Campaign
Accordinq to the US Embassy in Sofia, the recent renewal of
the assimilation campaign may have begun as early as last spring
when Sofia transferred the responsibility for the name changes
from the police to the more heavy-handed militia and army. Since
last December, we have received many reports of violent
resistance, including more than four hundred deaths over a
widespread area. Army and militia have restricted travel in
these affected regions and, according to press reports in Turkey,
Sofia recently may have temporarily closed its borders to Turkish
tourists. Bulgarian 25X1
Turks trying to telephone Ankara's embassy to protest the
campaign are routinely cut off. As of 31. January Bulgaria's
Turkish language paper was required to begin using Bulgarian
exclusively. 25X1
One reason for the resumption of the anti-Turk campaign may
be Sofia's desire to meet its 1985 deadline for issuing new
national identification cards to its citizens, a campaign said to
be resisted by the Turkish minority. The effort also may be
geared to end just before the start of a new national census
scheduled for this December, which Sofia hopes will not show a
larqe Turkish minority.
Turkish Reaction
The government of Prime Minister Turgut Ozal so far has
tried to avert a bilateral crisis with efforts to calm rising
domestic furor over reports of Bulgarian brutality. In mid-
January, President Evren sent a note to Party Leader Zhivkov, and
security has been strenqthened around Bulgarian consulates in
Turkey. Some four weeks later, Ozal was still counselling
"patience" when he received a group of Bulgarian Turkish
refugees. In early February Ankara called its ambassador to
Bulgaria home for consultations and the Turkish National Assembly
debated the issue amid reports it might accept some Bulgarian
refugees.
Ankara is uncertain about Sofia's reasons for undertaking
the campaign. It has reacted cautiously because the costs of a
strong protest--such as recalling its Ambassador in Sofia--would
likely entail serious damage to its improving economic relations
with Bulgaria and the USSR. Turkey, itself, also is vulnerable
to international criticism for restrictive policies towards its
Kurdish and Arab minorities. Finally, the Turks suspect that the
West is trying to exploit the incidents in order to disrupt a
warming trend in Turkish-East bloc relations.
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UUNr'1UJ NT1AL
Turkish press commentary, on the other hand, has harshly
denounced Bulgaria and has criticized Ankara's passivity.
Bulgarian Turks now living in Turkey are attempting to organize a
broader protest and have bombarded western embassies with
telegrams of protest.
Prospects
President Zhivkov may modify his assimilation strategy if he
is unable to continue warding off Western criticism of the
repression. He wants better relations with the West and is
worried that the papal assassination scandal and allegations of
Bulgarian complicity in international drug trafficking and
terrorism will further hurt his regime. But he is not likely to
lessen his determination to remove what he sees as a potential
threat from the ethnic Turks.
The brutality of current government efforts to force the
name changes and the sealing off of affected areas shows the
seriousness with which the regime is pursuing this campaign.
Despite increasingly critical foreign press coverage, the
assimilation effort al preoccupation of the
Zhivkov government.
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Bulgaria: Renewed Assimilation Campaign Against Ethnic Turks
DISTRIBUTION
1 - Roland Kuchel, Deputy Director, Bureau of East European
and Yugoslav~Affairs, Department of State
2 - D/EURA
3 - C/EURA/EE
4 - DC/EURA/EE
5 - NIO/Europe
6 - ANIO/Europe
7 - C/EE/SE
8 - DDI
9 - DDI Registry
TO - EURA/WE/IA
11 - IMC/CB
12 - IMC/CB
13 - IMC/CB
1.4 - IMC/CB
15 - EUR/PS
16 - EUR/PS sourced copy
17
Chrono/EURA/EE/SE
DDI/EURA/EE/SE: I I(20 Feb 85)
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