REMEMBRANCE IN TIME - Index of

DIFFERENT GENERATIONS, DIFFERENT
SHARED MEMORIES. A STUDY OF TURKISH
MINORITY IN BULGARIA MEMORIES
Margarita KARAMIHOVA 1
Abstract: The article presents research results of fieldwork on memories of Turks living in
Bulgaria regarding the traumatic events during so called “renaissance process” through an
ethnological perspective. What is the impact of tensions, conflicts and mass exile of Turks (1984-
1989) on the Turkish minority group memories for the next 22 years? How the communist
modernization project has been reflected by minority group members? Those are the main
questions on which focus this article.
Methodology
The article is an attempt to identify major factors to be estimated when analyzing the
process of shaping memories. Stressing the constructed character of remembrance, I refer
to Halbwachs who states that memories are in most cases a reconstruction of the past with
the help of events from the present. Those events are caused by the political system and
ideology (Halbwachs 1985). Trauma and victimization have come to play within a
politics of memory. Basic premise is that memories are never simply records of the past,
but they are interpretative reconstruction that bears the imprint of local narrative
conventions, cultural assumptions, discursive formation and practices and social context
of recall and commemoration. When memories recall act of violence against entire group
they might become emblems of victimized identity. Thus, acts of remembering often take
on performative meaning.
I examine the discursive and narrative practices that have a stake in particular constructs
of memory. It is widely accepted that memories are produced out of experience and in
turn, re-shape it. This implies that memory is intrinsically linked to identity. As far as
aggressive assimilatory politics of communist regime was directed to reverse group
identity of Turks in Bulgaria (1984-1989) I do examine the cultural means and social
institutions through which the practices or memory are mediated (Antze, Lambeck 1996:
xii) aiming to play a search-light of role of Movement for Rights and Freedom (MRF)
after collapse of communism.
As Connerton (1989) stresses, special institutions or at least mechanisms are needed to
generate collective remembrance. To understand the impact of Turkish minority on the
events of 1984-1989 and the traumatic experience taking place in group memories it was
necessary to examine carefully the messages propagated by MRF and its leader Ahmed
Dogan for 22 years as well as immediate reactions in the groups of Turks in Bulgaria – in
terms of remembering the socialist past and shaping voting strategy directed to the future
in the first decade of 21 st century.
1 St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.