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Ana Sayfa
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millet
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Dökümanlar
- Pomaklar Öz Be Öz Türktür |
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Pomak Turks |
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1. INTRODUCTION:
Pomak Turks, an inseperable part of Turks,
mostly live in Bulgaria and some of them
live in the "forbidden zone" on Rodop
Mountains in West Thrace.
Pomak Turks, whom Bulgarians wanted to
assimilate by massacres are face to face
with the same plans of Greeks in Western
Thrace since 1960.
In the Balkans especially between 1877-78,
this Turkish tribe experienced severe
cruelity by Russians and Bulgarians. They
are the dynamic factor of the Turkish
minority in Bulgaria and West Thrace.
2. HISTORY :
a. Thrace:
Thrace which takes its name from its first
inhabitants Thracs have been a scene for
important wars and developments in the
history. The struggle between Tracs, who
came from North to the region in 2000 B.C.,
and Persians , Macedons, Romans and Greeks
had continued for a long time.
In Thrace, in III. century when obligatory
christianism had begun and IV. century when
Got attacks had begun, Hun Turks and in V.
century Avar and Bulgarian Turks emerged as
dynamic powers in the region. The state
which is known as "Tuna Bulgarian State" in
the history ended in the year 864 as the
leader of Bulgarian Turks, Bogoris Han
accepted officially to be an Ortodox.
The efforts to settle in the Balkans started
in the beginning of 860s with the migration
of Peçenek, Uz(Oğuz) and Kuman-Kıpçak and
continued until XI. century. History puts it
forward that the Turks were the dominant
people in the Thrace, Balkans, Macadonia and
Doburca aftr V. century. (1)
During the sovereignity of Byzantians,
Aydınoğlu Umur Bey helped the Byzantians to
resolve the conflicts for the throne. This
formed the essential base for Ottoman
sovereignity in the region.
Ottoman Turks started to conquer Balkans in
1360s and their sovereignity lasted in the
region until the begining of the 20.
century.
b. Pomak Turks :
Bulgarians claim that Pomak Turks are
"Moslem Bulgarians" and Greeks claim that
they are "Moslem Greeks", actually they are
from the Kuman-Kıpçak Turkish Tribe who came
from North to the region. (2)
They could not been destroyed although they
had fell into soverignity of Bulgarians and
Byzantians for a while.
The name "Pomak" means "the helper" and was
given by Slavs to this tribe.
Bulgarians used the name insultingly to mean
"the helper of Ottomans"
According to Greeks, Pomaks are the sons of
Alexander the Great and had been forced to
become Moslems by Greeks. These arguments
are far from reality.
Interstingly the name "Pomak" was
extensivley used in XIX. century at the same
time with the emergence of the term "Kurd"
and "Armenian Problem". This was not a
coinicidence, but used deliberatley to
seperate Turkish Nation and Ottoman Empire..
c. Western Thrace :
As Ottoman Sovereignity started in the
Balkans, Kuman and Peçenek Turks had become
Moslem and taken important official
positions in the frontiers.
Western Thrace is a region full of
mountains.It consists of Dedeağaç,
Gümülcine, İskeçe and is approximately 8578
square kilometers.
The pitiful developments in Western Thrace
had started especially in 1877-78
Ottoman-Russian war. As Ottoman was defeated
in the war, new states bearing the name
"Turk" emerged in the region although they
lasted only for a short while.The most
important of these is "Western Thrace
Turkish Republic". During the foundation of
these states Pomak Turks had very important
contributions and helps. This shows their
acceptance of liberty as their ancestors
Pecenek and Kuman Turks.
Pomaks helped Ottomans to stop the
rebellions in the region, and hence given
the name "Pomak" which means the "Helper"
After The World War I, and Balkan Wars,
Bulgarians had soverignity in the regions
where Pomaks live with Bucharest Treaty.
pomak Turks preserved their culture despite
the pressure of Bulgarians until 1919.
Allied Forces took the region from
Bulgarians by Neully Treaty in 1919 and then
gave it to Greece with Sevr treaty in 1920.
After the victory in Independence War under
the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, The
minority rights of Pomak Turks had been
assured by Lozan Treaty. Pomak Turks
actually were not minority in the region but
they were dominant both in number and land.
During World War II, Bulgarians tried to
assimilate Pomak Turks.
After 1967, the junta of Colonels applied
the same assimilation police aginst Turks.
This policy did not change with the civil
goverment after 1974.
Greeks argue that there are no Turks in
Western Thrace rather there are Helenic
Moslems.
Pomaks in Greece especially live in Iskece,
Gümülcine and Dimetoka. Pomaks have a
language which contains 60% Turkish words.
According to Ottoman records, the village
Sahin is founded by Lala Şahin Paşa. This
village is the cultural center of Pomak
Turks.
d. Bulgarian and Pomak Turks :
Bulgarians claim that Pomak Turks are
Bulgarians using the small differences in
their language. They try to show Turkish
Population less.
Their main argument is the language but
Pomak language is %30
Ukrain Slav, %25 Kuman-Kıpçak, % 20 Oguz
Turkish, % 15 Nogayca and % 10
Arabian.
After 1877-78 Ottoman-Russian War, Turks
were reffered as "Turkish Minority". Between
1950-1965 they were reffered as "Turkish
Inhabitants". Between 1965-1976 they were
reffered as " Bulgar Citizen with Turkish
Background", after 1976 they were reffered
as "Bulgarian Turks". After 1984 the name
"Turk" is totally eleminated and they are
referred as "Moslem Bulgarians".
(1) Operations against Turks during the
Balkan Wars:
The Bulgarian Goverment wanted to eleminate
Turkish presence and they thought thjat it
would be easier to do this by seperating the
Turkish Public. They started with the
propoganda of saying that Pomaks were not
Turks.
During Balkan Wars, Bulgarian General
Sarafof had ordered to make all the Turks in
the macadonia and Rodops Bulgarian and to
kill the ones who had refused. This order
had been executed by
a. Forcing Turks to become Christians
b. Changing their names with Bulgarian names
c. To destroy Turkish-Islamic Culture and
Civilization.
d. Turkish genocides.
Mustafa Kemal had notified the Bulgarian
Goverment to stop these actions in 1914 and
had positive results.
However, Turks were forced to leave their
lands but most of them resisted to change
land. Until 1950 no serios migration to
Turkey took place.
(2) Operations After 1945
After 1945, genocide aginst Moslem Turks had
continued. All of the Turks had been force
to change their names. With the decesions in
1948,1951, 1964, 1969 operations to create a
"Bulgarian-Slav" Public had continued.
In the campaign of Assimilation to make
Bulgarians between 1968-1972, same
operations had been performed in all the
regions. The following operations were made:
a.All of the applications to change name and
nation were mass printed.
b.Dates were writtend elibrately old.
c.100 Leva was collected from the Turks for
expenses.
d.Torture was applied to the ones who
refused to change nation and name.
Thousands had been killed since they did not
accepted to chage nation and religion. A
public grave containing 1000 dead bodies was
found in Meric Dam. Between 1968-1972 ,
8-10.000 Turk were killed.
558.325 Moslem Turks were forced to change
name and 48073 people wwere fired since they
did not change names. These operations have
continued after 1984.
3. SOCIAL-CULTURAL STRUCTURE OF POMAK
TURKS :
Birth has an important place in Pomaks as in
all other Turkish Tribes. Mother stays home
for 40 days to protect her child from evil
eyes. On the 40th day, the mother and the
child take a bath and go out. This is an
important Turkish tradition.
The age for marriage is between 17-22 for
boys and 17 for girls. They do not marry
their relatives. Single marriage is a
principle.
They speak a Turkish dialect called
"Pomakca". They can also speak Modern
Turkish and Greek if obligatory.
4. CONCLUSION :
The efforts to assimilate Pomak Turks by
Greece and Bulgaria as a result of their
policy of applying pressure on minorities,
still continues.
Greece tries to show Pomaks as Slavs and to
change their language and culture in their
own interest to cut their relationship
between Bulgarian Goverment tries to prevent
the Pomak children from taking Turkish
Language Courses.
Bulgarian Turks are under the influence of
several Christian Missionaires after 1990.
Bulgarian Goverment shows special interest
on the subject for Pomak turks and Moslem
Gipsies.
A book named " Moslem People in the Balkans
and Bulgaria" is published in 1997. This
book shows proofs that that the Bulgarian
claim that Pomaks are Bulgarians who had
been forced to become moslem,is not true.
Greece has operations to destroy the unity
of Turkish Minority in Wetern Thrace. They
always refer to Turkish minority as "Moslem
Minority". Their military officals declare
that they work on the Pomak culture and try
to show Pomak Culture seperate from Turkish
culture.
There is a web site which contains
information to assure that Pomaks are Greek
origin. This site is prepared by Greek
Secret Service.
Both Greeks and Bulgarians try to create
artificially a Pomak Nation witha differetn
culture and language. They do not want to
accept them as Turks.
Especially after 1950, many Pomaks migrated
to Turkey. 23,000 of the Turks who came from
Turkey from Bulgaria are Pomaks and they
live in Çanakkale, Edirne, Eskişehir, Bursa
and Balıkesir. |
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