1989 expulsion of Turks from Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
In 1984, as part of a policy of Bulgarisation
, all Bulgarian nationals who were ethnically Turkish were forced to exchange their names for Bulgarian names amid much official intimidation, some violence and loss of life (Muslim Bulgarians had been forced to change their names in 1972). In early 1989, in some areas with large ethnic Turkish populations there were severe clashes with twelve fatalities. Shortly after that, the border with Turkey was opened over 600,000 people left Bulgaria
for Turkey
in the late spring and the summer of 1989.
The migration of the Bulgarian Turks to Republic of Turkey constituted the biggest mass migration in Europe since the Second World War.
Bulgarisation
Bulgarisation is a term used to describe a cultural change of the spread of Bulgarian culture within various areas in the Balkans....
, all Bulgarian nationals who were ethnically Turkish were forced to exchange their names for Bulgarian names amid much official intimidation, some violence and loss of life (Muslim Bulgarians had been forced to change their names in 1972). In early 1989, in some areas with large ethnic Turkish populations there were severe clashes with twelve fatalities. Shortly after that, the border with Turkey was opened over 600,000 people left Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
for Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in the late spring and the summer of 1989.
The migration of the Bulgarian Turks to Republic of Turkey constituted the biggest mass migration in Europe since the Second World War.