Title: The Dark Chapter of Bulgaria‘s "Revival Process": Honoring the Youngest Victim and Remembrance of the 29 Lives Lost in 1984-1985
On December 26, Bulgarians will gather to pay respect and bow down to the youngest victim of the infamous "Revival Process" – 17-month-old T perio T_stackSymbol|Türkcan Hasan, and the 29 other lives lost during the period of 1984-1985. This announcement was made by the chairman of the National Party Freedom and Dignity.
"[The totalitarian regime] sought to forcefully assimilate the Turkish ethnic community by changing their identities, including their names, culture, traditions, and even their mother tongue. This was an attempt to inflict collective schizophrenia," said Ismailov. "But you can’t just erase someone’s identity, it’s like transferring the dead to a parallel universe."
Protests erupted across the country in response to this state-enforced identity change, but the government met them with brute force. The People’s Party of Bulgaria, which ruled the country at the time, labeled this oppressive campaign as a "Great Excursion," a mocking euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of over 360,000 people.
During this dark era, 30 people were killed, and thousands more were imprisoned in places like the notorious Belene labor camp. However, news of these atrocities reached the Western world through broadcasts on Radio Free Europe, Deutsche Welle, and the BBC. The resilience of the Turkish community was evident in their organized protests, hunger strikes, and demonstrations.
Today, human rights organizations have been established, and the stories of those who suffered have been heard. In memory of those who lost their lives and those who stood against this injustice, let us bow our heads and honor their resilience in preserving their cultural identity.
Photo: Orhan Ismailov
