advertisement
Tue, Feb 07 2012
Foreign Minister: Bulgaria will not hold a referendum on Turkish news bulletins
Roumyana Zheleva
Photo: Nadezhda Chipeva
Bulgaria will not hold a referendum on whether public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television (BNT) should continue a special daily news bulletin in the Turkish language, Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva told private national Darik Radio broadcaster on December 19 2009.
According to her, the problem was in the unfairness of a referendum when it comes to minority issues such as the 10 minute long Turkish-language news bulletins which has been broadcasted five days a week since 2000.
"We can’t have the majority deciding on something which concerns a smaller group of society. In this sense the referendum idea loses its meaning as the result would be known in advance," Zheleva said.
According to an October 8 report by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, of Europe’s 38 million Muslims, 920 000 live in Bulgaria, where they make up 12.2 per cent of the country’s population.
"We can’t have such a referendum because we will become the laughing stock of Europe" Zheleva, who is also Bulgaria’s candidate European Commissioner, nominated for the portfolio of international co-operation, humanitarian aid and emergency response, said.
The idea for the referendum was raised by the ultra-nationalist Ataka party on December 15 and was initially supported by Prime Minister and leader of the ruling GERB party Boiko Borissov.
The idea met with resistance within the country and broad, and saw Borissov backtracking on his support on December 19.
According to her, the problem was in the unfairness of a referendum when it comes to minority issues such as the 10 minute long Turkish-language news bulletins which has been broadcasted five days a week since 2000.
"We can’t have the majority deciding on something which concerns a smaller group of society. In this sense the referendum idea loses its meaning as the result would be known in advance," Zheleva said.
According to an October 8 report by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion and Public Life, of Europe’s 38 million Muslims, 920 000 live in Bulgaria, where they make up 12.2 per cent of the country’s population.
"We can’t have such a referendum because we will become the laughing stock of Europe" Zheleva, who is also Bulgaria’s candidate European Commissioner, nominated for the portfolio of international co-operation, humanitarian aid and emergency response, said.
The idea for the referendum was raised by the ultra-nationalist Ataka party on December 15 and was initially supported by Prime Minister and leader of the ruling GERB party Boiko Borissov.
The idea met with resistance within the country and broad, and saw Borissov backtracking on his support on December 19.
-
Print
-
Send via email
- Translate to
-
Share:
Comments
To post comments, please, Login or Register.
Please read the The Sofia Echo forum comments policy.
Bulgarian PM backtracks on referendum on Turkish broadcasts
I supported Ataka because I need their support in Parliament, Boiko Borissov says.
Editorial: A questionable question
It is little surprise that reactions to the announcement that the ruling party would back the holding of a national referendum on whether the public broadcaster should continue daily brief news bulletins in Turkish included disbelief.
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.
GERB, Ataka join forces on holding referendum on news in Turkish
This is the most democratic way to deal with the issue once and for all, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov says
Bulgaria has 920 000 Muslims – new report
Muslims make up 12.2 per cent of Bulgaria’s population; of the Muslims in Bulgaria, up to 15 per cent are Shia. Europe has 38 million Muslims, five per cent of its population.
More in this category
Avalanche danger in Bulgaria’s mountains amid winter weather crisis
Mountain Rescue urges skiers and snowboarders not to stray from the official pistes.
Further flooding in southern Bulgaria as another dike breaks
Huge wave headed for the village of Generalovo after Maritsa River burst its banks. Freight lorry movement banned throughout Bulgaria and people asked not to travel. Bulgaria to declare a day of mourning and could approach EU for financial help.
Floods in Bulgaria: Evacuation of district in Svilengrad
Code Red declared in Haskovo and Smolyan. Weather warning that situation will worsen. European Commission ready to help, while Bulgaria’s Cabinet is to vote help to people in Haskovo region.
Eight dead in floods after dam bursts in southern Bulgaria: Updated
People missing, houses damaged and more than 50 evacuated from the village of Bisser in southern Bulgaria as harsh weather crisis continues in the country.
Bulgarian firms fined for underperformance in clearing winter roads
Eleven companies face fines of a total of more than 400 000 leva.
© 2000-2012, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Web Design by RIZN
Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted.
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only
with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.
Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com.
Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments.
The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the
price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes,
and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.
- Economedia Group portfolio:
- In Bulgarian:
-
Business:
Капитал,
Кариери,
Пазари,
Ho Re Mag,
Регал,
Градът.bg,
Одит,
Foton.bg,
Online shop
- News: Дневник, Европа, Foreign Policy - България
- IT: IDG.BG, Computerworld, PC World, CIO, Networkworld
- Entertainment: Бакхус
-
In English:
The Sofia Echo
Smiley / I think you do not follow world politics first hand. The Kurdish( DTP party) was band because was supporting or acting as spoke person for the Kurdish terrorist organization PKK. As you now only two political members were suspended for five years for active politics. The other nineteen members of the party joined the newly created party which have taken their seats in the parliament.There are no comparisons between the Kurdish DTP and the Bulgarian DSP parties. One preaches democracy and human rights ( including yourself ) for all in Bulgaria and the other preaches amputation of [...]
Read the full comment the body. They have 24 hours television and radio programs in their language run by the national television and paid by the tax payers. Kurdish people have served in the highest offices of the country. In the other hand in Bulgaria 10 minutes a day news program in Turkish is not tolerated by majority Bulgarians. Is this your understanding of democracy and tolerance? Just to make myself clear: I do not support and agree for any political party being closed by the courts. If they need to be closed, voters will do that.
Fine, but are the minorities in Turkey anything. No. They ban the Kurdish political party. Also, practice of Christian worship is illegal in turkey, but no one from the side of the EU consdiers this - just suck up to the moslem.
In my country dont leave different ethnitical grups besides 92% ethnitical bulgarians , and 8% ethnitical gipsys. In Bulgaria dont leae turky , in republic of "Turcy" to.Such changes will need to do if only when lose War sam day with republic of "Turky"!!!!!
It's right approach. Members of the governing party "in this case the prime minister Boris Borisov" cannot acct and speak like leaders of the opposition parties. His job is to fine solutions to the problems facing the country and not to instigate the majority Bulgarians against the other ethnic groups in the country. After all, Turkish minority in Bulgaria is a integral part of the country. They are not going anywhere, therefore what ever the difficulties are, the authorities should try to fined satisfactory solutions to benefit all concern.