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Thu, Feb 23 2012
GERB, Ataka join forces on holding referendum on news in Turkish
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Ataka's leader Volen Siderov
Photo: Tsvetelina Angelova
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and ruling party GERB have publicly endorsed ultra-nationalist party Ataka's campaign for a national referendum on whether public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) should continue a special daily news bulletin in Turkish.
Borissov announced this on December 15 2009 at a joint news conference with Ataka leader Volen Siderov.
Siderov and Ataka have been campaigning for more than five years against BNT's daily afternoon broadcast of a news summary in Turkish. Bulgarian is the official language of Bulgaria and there is no place for news in Turkish on the public broadcaster, Siderov has insisted.
The sub-text of the issue, a highly emotional one for ultra-nationalists, is that Turkish as a minority language is a legacy of the five centuries of Ottoman rule of Bulgaria.
Ataka has collected the 48 MP signatures required for Parliament to discuss holding a referendum, Siderov was quoted by Bulgarian news agency Focus as saying.
If Parliament approves the proposed referendum, the President must issue a decree calling the referendum.
"You can consider that we have collected 48 signatures," Siderov said. Currently Ataka has 21 MPs and GERB has 116. This means that Ataka has got the support of 27 MPs from outside its own ranks.
"This is a very delicate situation and we don't want the matter being exploited against Bulgarian Muslims or by them. That's why I support the idea of solving the issue on a referendum as this is the most democratic way," Borissov said, as quoted by Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik.
According to Borissov, the aim of the referendum was to end, for once and for all, political exploitation of the issue.
"We don't want other minorities to feel neglected. Soon we might have the Roma asking for news in their language," Borissov said, adding that Bulgarian was the country's official language.
If Parliament decides to go ahead with a referendum, it would be the first in Bulgaria for decades. Previous proposed referendums, on issues from the environment to energy, have been rejected by Parliament.
Borissov announced this on December 15 2009 at a joint news conference with Ataka leader Volen Siderov.
Siderov and Ataka have been campaigning for more than five years against BNT's daily afternoon broadcast of a news summary in Turkish. Bulgarian is the official language of Bulgaria and there is no place for news in Turkish on the public broadcaster, Siderov has insisted.
The sub-text of the issue, a highly emotional one for ultra-nationalists, is that Turkish as a minority language is a legacy of the five centuries of Ottoman rule of Bulgaria.
Ataka has collected the 48 MP signatures required for Parliament to discuss holding a referendum, Siderov was quoted by Bulgarian news agency Focus as saying.
If Parliament approves the proposed referendum, the President must issue a decree calling the referendum.
"You can consider that we have collected 48 signatures," Siderov said. Currently Ataka has 21 MPs and GERB has 116. This means that Ataka has got the support of 27 MPs from outside its own ranks.
"This is a very delicate situation and we don't want the matter being exploited against Bulgarian Muslims or by them. That's why I support the idea of solving the issue on a referendum as this is the most democratic way," Borissov said, as quoted by Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik.
According to Borissov, the aim of the referendum was to end, for once and for all, political exploitation of the issue.
"We don't want other minorities to feel neglected. Soon we might have the Roma asking for news in their language," Borissov said, adding that Bulgarian was the country's official language.
If Parliament decides to go ahead with a referendum, it would be the first in Bulgaria for decades. Previous proposed referendums, on issues from the environment to energy, have been rejected by Parliament.
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Foreign Minister: Bulgaria will not hold a referendum on Turkish news bulletins
We can’t have such a referendum because we will become the laughing stock of Europe, Zheleva said.
Bulgarian PM backtracks on referendum on Turkish broadcasts
I supported Ataka because I need their support in Parliament, Boiko Borissov says.
European Parliament to debate Bulgaria's proposed referendum on Turkish newscasts
Bulgaria's Government should come to its senses, Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, says.
Ankara closely monitoring referendum on Turkish news in Bulgaria
We expect the Bulgarian Government to make the necessary efforts to deal with the matter through dialogue and within the framework of democratic laws and human rights, Turkey's foreign ministry says
Bulgarian President: Prime Minister was tricked on the Turkish news referendum
I hope the Borissov realises that, President Georgi Purvanov says.
No Christmas bonuses for Bulgarian MPs
During the Parliamentary holiday, the new biometric voting system will be installed.
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Bulgaria for the Bulgarians in Bulgarian!!!
We don't want another Turkish Yoke! Those who want to speak Turkish should go and live in Turkey. If they claim to be Turks and not Bulgarians forced to convert to Islam, then they are the invaders and the oppressors. They did not give us, the Bulgarians, any rights for all the centuries we were enslaved by them so why should they be given any rights now in Bulgaria. They don't deserve them. Being called a "Turk" still denotes a savage, brutal person. They conquered half of Europe with blood [...]
Read the full comment and sword and now they are using "democracy" as a pretext to conquer all of Europe. Christianity should be very vigilant! Pope Benedict is right. Turkey is not a European nation and does NOT belong in the EU. Block Turkey's entry into the EU. I don't want to hear Turkish in Bulgaria when I visit. It is a reminder of our tragic past. Stay strong against the Truks! Do let them enslave us again!
Bro Boyko foolishly tries to accommodate the neofascists. What does this tell us?
In Bulgaria not leave turky , onli etnithical bulgarians (92%) and (8%) gypsy which venetian jews brought here before 630 years from north India when created Musulman impare in 1393.In most theritory of Balkan and Anatolian ewer leae only same bulgarians tribes from 150 000 - 200 000yers.In all this therithory hawe only bulgarian artefacts , ancient culture monuments and skeletons with bulgarian DNA.In republic of "Turky" to leave in head bulgarians, kurds , gypsys and jews(greegs). Wery easy may see whu is turk by face , color of hear and body they are turky (sauthern chinеse)whish used indian culture [...]
Read the full comment and arabian religion.This people are different Race from us! But today like time of Communismus many bulgarians be announced for "rusians" to survive in agressive politic habitat 45years and same fenomen during 475 years "Musulman impire" most weak souls passed of side on enemy.Bulgarian people invent exactly word for this - POMAC , an saint Paisiy Hilendarskiy write in Istoriya slavno bulgarskaya - O, nerazumni yurodi ...
In Bulgaria not leave turky , onli etnithical bulgarians (92%) and (8%) gypsy which venetian jews brought here before 630 years from north India when created Musulman impare in 1393.In most theritory of Balkan and Anatolian ewer leae only same bulgarians tribes from 150 000 - 200 000yers.In all this therithory hawe only bulgarian artefacts , ancient culture monuments and skeletons with bulgarian DNA.In republic of "Turky" to leave in head bulgarians, kurds , gypsys and jews(greegs). Wery easy may see whu is turk by face , color of hear and body they are turky (sauthern chinеse)whish used indian culture [...]
Read the full comment and arabian religion.This people are different Race from us! But today like time of Communismus many bulgarians be announced
Ivan - "WalesOnLine" is a south-Welsh site dedicated to rugby players only.
If you get a better site, based on actual school and census data (as opposed to rugby-players drinking in bars after matches), you get a far higher figure for Welsh / Cymraeg speakers:
http://www.byig-wlb.org.uk/English/welshlanguage/P
Garedig iawn i chwi
Its only 20% because the schools mandate welsh lessons for all children.
for Daffyd - also figures for Scots in 2001 census shows about 58,000 can speak gaelic but only half this can read or write it. As opposed to 5.000.000 who can speak read or write it.
According to Walesonline Daffyd only 20% in Wales speak welsh. On what do you base your figures? Wishful thinking??
Ivan is wrong about Wales - the proportion of Welsh-speakers in North Wales is around 80%, and in South Wales 40%.
Cer i giachu i Bob Sais (traditional "friendly" Welsh greeting to the English)
to Frank - no he hasnt got the balls. This is a game for him in which he thinks he cannot lose whichever way the ball falls! Of course the majority will reject the news in Turkish. In Scotland maybe 10-15% speak Gaelic and in Wales no more than 20 but they have a voice and even road signs that are bilingual. Perhaps we should have signs here in Turkish as well as cyrillic and latin or maybe a referendum about it
There is no direct connection but I am reminded of the fact that the BBC worldservice (broadcasting in English) has been taken off. Luckily for me, when I am in Bg., both RFI and Deutschewelle have slots in English!
'Decades' - 5 of those for communism; 'Centuries' - 5 of those for Ottoman rule.
No wonder it is difficult for Bg. to make independent decisions!
Batko doing his Pontius Pilate thing - washing his (and his kowtowing government's) hands of the issue and "letting the people decide". Read: letting the xenophobic elements of Bulgarian society vent their spleen with minimal political risk for the generalissimo. The yoke is long past, it wasn't Turks it was Ottomans, Turkish is a significant minority language in Bulgaria, the government of the day should show it's got balls and tell Siderov and his ilk to go to hell.
This is a cowardly act. OK then lets have a referendum on many other issues like should judges and magistrates get bonuses this year should MP's continue to have immunity. The list is endless
Five 'decades' of Ottoman rule? I thought that the Bulgarians blamed everything that is wrong with Bulgaria on five centuries of the 'yoke'. In my view the Turks should be invited back to rule.
Velev:
"The turks are islamic creeps that have nothing to do with freedom or democracy.."
They are not, but if there are enough Bulgarians thinking like you, they will be and then we'll all have to move to Canada.
Turks living in BG have done nothing to us. Altogether they have been a problem free minority. We've expelled them, changed their names against their will, done all kinds of other stupid things to their community, and yet there has been remarkably little violence in our inter-race relations. Sure [...]
Read the full comment they want their identity respected, and we should if we want others to respect who we are. Our Turks are no Arabs...
That said, I think we can radicalize them better than 1000 Osamas, if we think like you.
Great move ! We are dealing with ultra-nationalists - the turks ... That is why this is a good move .. The turks are islamic creeps that have nothing to do with freedom or democracy,but are spured by the idea of islam domination !! This is the point that the Swiss made. If you live in Canada - just poor a thick layer of maple syrop on your pancakes and try not to be such a conceited ideot !
romianad:
"And please - spare me chauvinistic, offensive responses. I love the country I was born in, I don't love what it represents."
Rumi,
you sound a little unhinged.
The politicians are being politicians, and holding referendums on languages is not what BG represents.
You saw Canada and now you'll never forgive BG for not being like that?
Пази Боже сляпо да прогледа?
Look, Canada has plenty politicians who demagogue the language issues all the time, as do the Americans as well.
[...]
Read the full comment Don't know if you remember the "English Only" initiative in California?
Don't worry - you are giving Boyko too much credit if you think that he came up with that....
Probably not the most successful analogy, below, but the point is in that fearing Islam is the new normal in Europe, and in that we are "just Europeans" - an dubious achievement...
"I must say that Borissov goes a long way down in my estimation with this move."
I agree with that. Slightly too populist for my liking.
The "bad name" part is irrelevant. This is Europe wide phenomena and nothing new at that.
At least we are like "the rest of Europe" or as Arnold said when running for Governor of California - "finally the critics are calling me 'an actor'"...
"...is that Turkish as a minority language is a legacy of the five decades of Ottoman rule of Bulgaria."
Five decades?! More like five hundred years...
What a stupid move; kinda like Switzerland banning minarets; it's the XXI century; the century of nationalism is over; news in Turkish language doesn't hurt anybody; the Bulgarian Ataka reminds me of FAIR, NumbersUSA groups in the USA: angry-old white males who are ready to blame their failures in life on "the other"...how sad!
Dumb move and certainly keeps Bulgaria further away from the enlightenment values of tolerance and not being so fearful of the "Other". I lived in Canada for 15 years and every province had special programs with news in the languages of their immigrants, including Bulgarian. Now I am in the US - half of their channels are in Spanish, there are news programs in Russian, Chinese, German, etc.
It would be so much more productive if BG politicians spent a fraction of the effort devoted to idiotic, backward, narrow-minded causes, such as this one, and focus [...]
Read the full comment on fixing the country instead. Unfortunately, the latter involves hard work, not fanfare and empty rhetoric...
And please - spare me chauvinistic, offensive responses. I love the country I was born in, I don't love what it represents.
I must say that Borissov goes a long way down in my estimation with this move.
I can't see what he hopes to achieve with this apart from creating further divisions and encouraging the sort of people who will give Bulgaria a bad name in Europe.