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Bulgarian Turks recall painful memories of persecution
Forced to migrate from Bulgaria in 1984-89 amid assimilation policies, Bulgarian Turks cannot forget torture, prison, exile
2021-05-28 19:28:54
KIRKLARELI/EDIRNE, Turkey
Bulgarian Turks, who were persecuted in 1984-1989 on the grounds that they opposed an assimilation campaign against them in the country, cannot forget the suffering they endured.
Cemil Birtane, 73, and Kiymet Birtane, 70, migrated from Bulgaria to Turkey at the end of 1989 after Cemil spent four years and six months in prison and exile for opposing assimilation. We were tortured and beaten for one year and four months in the Belene Prison. Later, I was sent to another prison with 80 friends. After a year there, I was exiled to different villages in Bulgaria. I was released after four years and six months, said Cemil, recalling those years.