The leadership of the MRF and the Parliamentary Group of the MRF – NEW BEGINNING, parliamentary deputies, mayors, municipal councillors, regional and municipal chairpersons of the MRF, members and supporters from all over the country laid wreaths and flowers at the foot of the fountain monument to the smallest victim of the "Revival Process" at Turkyan Cheshma in the village of Mogilyane. A wreath was also laid in the name of Delyan Peevski, the Chairman of the MRF and the Parliamentary Group of the MRF- NEW BEGINNING.
Thousands of people took part in the commemorative gathering to the memory of the victims, marking 41 years since the first peaceful protests against the forced name change of Turks and Muslims in Bulgaria. The gathering was reminded that "Truth, memory and human dignity are the foundation on which we build our future, but the memory of these events must be preserved and passed on to generations so that such tragedies are never allowed to happen again."
A solemn procession led by the MRF leadership paid their respects at the little Turkyan, where for the past 41 years we have been bowing to the memory of the beloved little baby girl who has become a symbol of the peaceful struggle for identity of Bulgarian Turks and Muslims.
To pay tribute to the commemorative rally, Deputy-Chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Erol Myumyun, Mayor of Kardzhali, Radoslav Revanski, Mayor of Belitsa, Nida Akhmedov, Mayor of Kaolinovo, Halil Letifov, Stanislav Anastasov, Iskra Mihaylova, Deputy-Chairmen of MRF-NEW BEGINNING, Erten Anisova, Bajram Bayram, Hamid Hamid, MP Seyfi Mehmedali, Ayten Sabri, Elvan Gurkash, Husein Hafuzov, Fatima Yildiz, Atidze Veli, Ismail Osman, Shendoan Halit, Erbil Halim, Tsvetan Enchev, Gunay Daloolu, MEP Taner Kabilov, Nedzhmi Ali – member of Central Operational Council of the MRF and Mayor of Dzhebel municipality, Ajjan Ahmed – member of the COC of the MRF and Mayor of Chernoochene municipality, Sebihan Mehmed – Mayor of Krumovgrad municipality, Izet Shaban – Mayor of Ardino municipality, Shinasi Suleyman – Mayor of Kirkovo municipality, Ilknur Kyazim Mayor of Momchilgrad municipality, Rushen Feyzula - Chairman of the District Council of the MRF, Engi Idriz –Cchairman of the District Council of the MRF.
The gathering at which thousands of people took part was also attended by the Ambassador of Turkey to Bulgaria H.E. Mehmet Sait Uyanik, Vice-Consul of Turkey in Plovdiv Murat Celik, Emre Manav - Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Plovdiv, Chief Mufti Mustafa Hadji, Basri Eminefendi - Regional Mufti of Kardzhali.
Among the official guests of the event were the deputy chairman of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Zafer Sarikaya, AKP MP Mustafa Yavuz, the rector of ULUDAG University in Bursa, Prof.Dr. Ferdinand Yilmaz, the Chairman of the Turkish Victory Party/Zafer Partisi/ Umit Özdag, the chairmen of expatriate associations and representatives of the MRF in Turkey.
Safie Yurdakul from the Association for Justice, Rights, Culture and Solidarity in the Balkans, the Chairman of the Momchilgrad Association in Bursa Mestanie Efe, and the Chairman of the Repressed-Momchilgrad Foundation, Mehmedali Ramadan, were also present.