Competition held in memory of baby Türkan

A competition titled “Türkan’s Dreams Come to Life Through Paintings and Children’s Works” was organized in memory of 18-month-old Türkan Feyzullah, who died in her mother’s arms during protests against the assimilation policies targeting the Turkish minority in Bulgaria in 1984. The award ceremony and the opening of the Baby Türkan Memorial Corner were held as part of the event.

The ceremony took place on Tuesday, 9 December, at the Cultural Center of Fotinovo village, in the Municipality of Kirkovo (Kızılağaç). Awards were presented to the children who ranked in the competition by Kirkovo Mayor Şinasi Süleyman. The excitement of the young participants as they came on stage created emotional moments in the hall.

Türkiye’s Consul General in Plovdiv, Emre Manav, President of the Western Thrace Turkish Teachers’ Union Aydın Ahmet, Vice President Batuhan Hasan, and President of the Komotini Turkish Youth Union Sedat Hasan were also in attendance.

One of the most touching parts of the program was the recital of poems dedicated to Baby Türkan. Despite their young age, the children recited verses with remarkable sensitivity, creating a profound silence in the hall and moving the audience deeply.

The ceremony concluded with the planting of a memorial tree in Baby Türkan’s honor and the release of white balloons into the sky by the children and guests.

Who Was Baby Türkan?

Baby Türkan (Türkan Feyzullah) was among a crowd of Turks protesting the forced name-change policy in Bulgaria on 26 December 1984 in the Killi region of Kardzhali province. Bulgarian security forces opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd, and 18-month-old Türkan, who was in her mother’s arms, was killed. She became a symbol of the resistance of Bulgarian Turks. Her grave in Bulgaria is visited every year on 26 December, and monuments dedicated to her memory exist in various cities in Turkey.