Panel explores language and settlement of Gagauz community in Bulgaria
ACADEMIC PANEL HIGHLIGHTS GAGAUZ PRESENCE IN THE BALKANS
Trakya University’s Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Balkan Studies, organized a significant academic event focused on the Gagauz people of Bulgaria.
Held at the Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Conference Hall within the Faculty of Pharmacy, the panel was titled “Geographic Distribution and Language Situation of Gagauz People in Bulgaria.” The event featured Professor Dr. Bülent Hünerli from Kırklareli University as the keynote speaker.
The panel drew participation from academics, faculty members, and students, including the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Elvan Bakar, and the Director of the Institute of Social Sciences and Head of the Balkan Studies Department, Dr. Lecturer Levent Doğan.
BALKAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO GROW
In his opening remarks, Dr. Doğan noted that the Balkan Studies Department has produced around 110 graduates to date and currently has approximately 85 to 90 students enrolled in its academic programs. He also expressed his pleasure in welcoming Dr. Hünerli, an alumnus of Trakya University, back to his alma mater as a speaker.
GAGAUZ HISTORY AND LANGUAGE DISCUSSED IN DEPTH
Professor Dr. Bülent Hünerli offered an in-depth overview of the Gagauz people, outlining their ethnic origins and historical migration patterns. He emphasized that Gagauz communities are predominantly found today in Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria. Hünerli also discussed the earliest documentation of the Gagauz, noting their first appearance in Turkish sources in an 1876 edition of Hayal newspaper.
The presentation included references to significant academic studies on the Bulgarian Gagauz population and explored how the community has maintained its language and cultural identity over time.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session, followed by a commemorative plaque presentation.
