Discrimination Issue Toward the Turkish Minority in Bulgaria in the Post-1989 Era

Abstract

Minorities are vulnerable populations that can often be subjected to oppression, assimilation, and discrimination within their countries. The term minorities, as used here, refer to groups that are fewer in number, non-dominant, and have characteristics than differ from the majority in a country. This study aims to analyze the Turkish minority in Bulgaria with respect to the issue of discrimination in the post-communist period, the period after 1989. The framework of discrimination was used to involve legal, economic, and cultural discrimination. As for the methodology, the study relied on in-depth interviews in Bulgaria, based on snowball sampling. In addition, relevant secondary data was also used as needed. The findings of the study show that a certain degree of progress has been made in the positions of the Turkish minority in the post-communist period, but the minority still suffers some degree of legal, economic, and cultural discriminations. Certain suggestions have also identified to overcome the issue of discrimination in concluding the study.