Bulgarian Ethnic Turkish Party Decides on Dissenter's Faith

Kasim Dal has emerged as a major dissenter in the ethnic Turkish party DPS. Photo by BGNES

The Central Operational Bureau of the Bulgarian ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, (DPS), is meeting Friday to decide on the faith of dissident party member Kasim Dal.

Dal told reporters before the meeting he wasn't counting on any support and his DPS membership and adherence were over. He added he was informed the DPS regional and youth leaders have been summoned earlier Friday and have already "signed what they had to sign."

The DPS leadership is meeting to discuss the situation after Dal dealt a strong blow by his resignation and by harsh criticism aimed at party leader Ahmed Dogan.

It is expected that Dal will be expelled from the party. The leadership already labeled his actions as slander and tarnishing the DPS image and expelled him from the party's parliamentary group.

Dogan, who just days ago was cleared on conflict of interest charges for allegedly pocketing BGN 1.5 M as a consultant of four large-scale hydroelectricity projects, broke his years-long tradition to be late for all meetings and has arrived 40 minutes in advance, reporters inform.