More than 6500 Bulgarians and Bulgarian emigrants in Turkey signed a declaration created by representatives of the Turkish Muslim minority in Bulgaria.

The declaration demands constitutional mention of the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, as well as guarantee of the right for free selection of nationality, Focus news agency reported.

Creators of the declaration also envision the opening of a state Turkish university in Bulgaria, permission for the creation of ethnically based political formations, as well as mandatory Turkish education for all people belonging to the minority group.

The state should quit interfering in religious affairs and should eliminate the national ethnic model. The document describes Bulgaria's ethnic model as continuation of assimilation processes aimed at the Turkish minority in the country.

Signatures in favour of the declaration will be collected in Bulgaria and Turkey until the end of the month. After that the document will be presented to President Georgi Purvanov, the Prime Minister and the National Assembly.