'Freedom to Learn Mother Tongue' conference in Bulgaria

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HÖH), the opposition party in the Bulgarian Parliament, whose members are mostly Turks and Muslims, held a conference on "Freedom to Learn Mother Tongue – Rights and Responsibilities" in the capital Sofia.

Karadayı said that in a country of 6.52 million people, where approximately one million citizens of Turkish origin live, HÖH is the "symbolic" host of this conference and that they want to confront the problems experienced in mother tongue education:

"Freedom to learn the mother tongue is one of the cornerstones of liberal democracy.
In order to avoid dictatorships and wars, it is imperative that citizens, who are the watchmen of democracy, be active and free. Shareholders' voices are better heard. The reality of a democracy is clear from the protection of minority rights and freedoms.”

Pointing out that the teaching of Turkish as an elective course in public schools is insufficient, Karadayı reminded that the Ministry of Education is waiting for approval for 10 years for the renewal of outdated textbooks.

Karadayı said, "Here, we are discussing the place of our language in our self-identity in Bulgaria, our homeland.
While deputies in the European Parliament vote in favor of language diversity, the parties that sent them from Bulgaria limit the use of the mother tongue. So, there is a problem, and that problem is in our understanding of democracy."

 “TURK MEANS TURKISH”

 The honorary guest of the conference, Turkey's Ambassador to Sofia, Aylin Sekizkök, said in her speech that Atatürk, the father of all Turks, said, "Turk means Turkish." reminded me of his words.

Ambassador Sekizkök said, "From here, I call on all my compatriots to benefit from the rights granted by the Bulgarian Constitution and international law. This important right is also a responsibility towards the future." said.

Referring to the fears created by the Communist regime that tried to assimilate Turks and Muslims in Bulgaria and that was overthrown in 1989, Sekizkök said: “As citizens of a democratic and European Union member country, it is necessary to leave these fears behind. I sincerely believe that showing the will to protect the mother tongue and expressing the problems and deficiencies through our political representatives is the beginning of everything.I think this meeting is a very important start in that respect."

At the conference, Turkish teachers in Bulgaria brought up the problems they encounter during the education process and their search for solutions.

In other panels, the role of universities in the training of teachers as Turkish mother tongue specialists and the organization and responsibilities of mother tongue education of central and local governments were discussed.

Mukaddes Nalbant, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament from HÖH, deputies, local government representatives, and Turkish instructors and teachers were also present at the conference.