TURKISH-BULGARIAN RELATIONS DURING ATATÜRK ERA

Abstract

Mustafa Kemal took a close interest in the question of Turks remained outside the Turkish borders following the foundation of the Republic and strived to guarantee their rights with various agreements signed. During the Atatürk era, Bulgarian Turks became the most important issue in the TurkeyBulgaria relations. The agreement signed in 1925 between the two countries provided for the mutual exchange of population. However, due to Bulgaria's a much larger Turkish population, the question become not only one of immigration, but also of political, social and cultural rights in Bulgaria. This paper investigates the developments in Bulgarian internal politics and its implications for Turkey, political relations between Turkey and Bulgaria, problems faced by Bulgarian Turks, the social and cultural issues and economic relations.