Seventeen Turkic organisations from ten different European countries participated in the meeting hosted by the Turkish community in Bulgaria.
The Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) participated in the 11th Annual Meeting of the Working Group of Turkic Minorities/Communities (TAG) of the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN), of which it is a member, held on 29 May-1 June 2025.
Representing the Bulgaria Turks, the meeting was organised by the Youth and Innovative Development Association and held in Varna. ABTTF President Halit Habip Oğlu attended as FUEN TAG Spokesperson, ABTTF Vice President Nabi İbrahimcik as FUEN Vice President, and ABTTF Vice President Sebahattin Mümin also participated on behalf of ABTTF.
The meeting was attended by representatives of Western Thrace Turks, the Turks of Rhodes and Kos, the Meskhetian Turks, the Crimean Tatars, the Turks of Kosovo, the Gagauz Turks of Ukraine, the Turks of North Macedonia, the Gagauz Turks of Moldova, the Bulgarian Turks, and the Turks of Romania. Representatives of seventeen Turkic organisations from ten different European countries attended the meeting, where FUEN TAG members had the opportunity to get to know the Bulgarian Turks and their current problems closely.
The delegation, led by FUEN TAG Spokesperson Halit Habip Oğlu, visited the Sherif Halil Pasha Mosque (Tombul Mosque) in the city of Shumen, located in the Ludogorie (Deliorman) region in northeastern Bulgaria, on Friday, 30 May, as part of the programme.
During the visit, which was also attended by Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Burgas Tolga Orkun, the FUEN TAG delegation visited Regional Mufti of Shumen Mesut Mehmed and learned about the activities of the mufti’s office and the region. The TAG delegation later visited the 103-year-old ‘‘Nüvvab’’ Religious High School in Shumen and learned about the history of the school from its director Şerif Hüsnü.
On the first day of the programme in Shumen, the FUEN TAG delegation met with representatives of the Turkish community in the Ludogorie (Deliorman) region. Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Burgas Tolga Orkun and Social Affairs Attaché of the Burgas Consulate General Mehmet Ungan also attended the meeting as guests of honour. At this meeting, the problems faced by the Turkish community in Bulgaria in terms of education, teaching in their mother tongue, preservation of Turkish identity and cultural heritage were discussed.
Following the meeting, the FUEN TAG delegation visited the museum house of the famous wrestler Koca Yusuf in the village of Cherna (Karalar), located in the district of Hitrino (Şeytancık) of the province of Shumen, and was informed about Yusuf’s life and achievements by the village mayor, İsmail Ebazer.
The FUEN TAG roundtable meeting held on 31 May began with opening and welcoming speeches by FUEN TAG Spokesperson Halit Habip Oğlu and FUEN Vice President Nabi İbrahimcik. Habip Oğlu provided information about TAG’s recent activities, while İbrahimcik briefed the participants on FUEN’s recent actions.
Following this, the participants shared important developments in their regions over the past year, their current issues, and the activities of the organisations they represent. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the 2025-2026 activity programme of FUEN TAG and a joint roadmap with the contributions of the participating organisations.
Following the meeting, the FUEN TAG delegation participated in a city tour of Varna hosted by Member of the European Parliament Ilhan Kyuchyuk and attended the subsequent dinner. The dinner was also attended by Consul General of the Republic of Türkiye in Burgas Tolga Orkun and Member of the Bulgarian Parliament from Varna from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Hüsnü Adem.
