Bulgaria PM Opposes Renaming of Turkish Toponyms

Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov (pictured) said Borisov has asked the representatives of his ruling centrist-right GERB in local authorioties across the country to oppose the renaming. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has declared that he is against changing place names in the country that have Turkish origin.

Borisov has asked the representatives of his ruling centrist-right GERB in local authorioties across the country to oppose the renaming of the toponyms in question, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov told the Bulgarian Parliament on Friday.

Naydenov's statement followed close on the heels of a declaration by the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party, which expressed concern over the fact that some Turkish place names have been changed by local authorities.

Key DPS MP Lyutvi Mestan pointed out that the Kabakum beach in the Black Sea city of Varna has been substituted with its literal Bulgarian translation (Golyam pyasak, meaning "big sand").

Plovdiv's Dzhumaya square is now called Roman Stadium, Mestan added.

Volen Siderov, leader of far-right Ataka (Attack) described Mestan's statement as "hate speech."

Numerous toponyms in Bulgaria have Ottoman Turkish origin, including the country's highest peak, Musala ("near Allah"), as well as various cities and villages (Pazardzhik, Kyustendil, etc.)

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