Western Thrace Turks participate in Turkish Language workshop
Representatives of the Western Thrace Turkish community attended the 9th Turkish Language Workshop, themed “Language, Culture, Religion, and Art,” held in Burgas, Bulgaria, on February 15-16.
Among the participants were Aydın Ahmet, President of the Western Thrace Turkish Teachers' Association (BTTÖB), Sedat Hasan, President of the Komotini Turkish Youth Union (GTGB), and Batuhan Hasan, Vice President of BTTÖB. The workshop was held under the patronage of Ilhan Küçük, Member of the European Parliament and Renew Europe member, bringing together approximately 150 attendees from Bulgaria, Western Thrace, and Turkey.
Key figures present included Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HÖH) Chairman Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cevdet Çakırov, Turkish Ambassador to Sofia Mehmet Sait Uyanık, HÖH Vice Presidents Valentin Tonçev, Sevim Ali, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hasan Azis, MPs Taner Ali and Eşeref Eşeref, Turkish Consul General in Burgas Tolga Orkun, and President of the High Islamic Council Vedat Ahmet.
The workshop consisted of three panels featuring local speakers and scholars from Turkey. Discussions focused on influential figures who contributed to the preservation of Turkish identity, culture, and language in Bulgaria, including Osman Kılıç, Nuri Turgut Adalı, Recep Küpçü, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Tatarlı, and Prof. Dr. Hayriye Süleymanoğlu. The event also highlighted acts of resistance and bravery during the name-changing period in Bulgaria, with special tribute paid to victims such as Baby Türkan. In the final panel, cultural associations presented theatrical performances depicting traditional engagement and wedding customs from the Kardzhali and Ruse regions.
Following the workshop, a formal dinner was held, during which BTTÖB President Aydın Ahmet delivered a speech on behalf of the Western Thrace delegation. He emphasized the deep emotional connection between the struggles of the Turkish community in Bulgaria and the sentiments of Western Thrace Turks, proposing that the 10th Workshop be organized as a two-day event split between Kardzhali and Komotini. The proposal was positively received by MEP Ilhan Küçük and Coordinator Zekiye Hasan.
In a statement, BTTÖB expressed gratitude: “As the Western Thrace delegation, we extend our heartfelt thanks to MEP Ilhan Küçük and Coordinator Zekiye Hasan for their kind invitation and exceptional hospitality.”
