Authors

Yana Volkova¹;  ¹ Queen's University Belfast, UK

Discussion

The study aims to explore the underpinnings, mechanisms, and consequences of Turkey-led extraterritorial identity construction and mobilization of the Muslim minority in Bulgaria. At the very core of kin state policy is identity of the targeted population - Turks, Tatars, Slavic-speaking Muslims, known as Pomaks, and Roma, which is regarded as malleable, multidimensional, and processual.Although the evolution of Turkish policy towards Bulgarian Muslims can be traced to the very formation of the state, the advent of the Justice and Development Party in 2002 marked a new period in Turkish kin state policy. The newly introduced ideology of Neo-Ottomanism brought about changes in the dominant official concept of Turkish statehood, nationalism, and national identity, which was reflected in active engagement with kin communities that resides in the territories of the former Ottoman Empire. The study reveals the linkage between Turkey’s kin state policy and ideological dynamic within Turkish power structures and the prevailing types of nationalism. The study explores how the Turkish leaders forge their relationships with the Muslim minority in Bulgaria, revealing the aims and mechanisms of such engagement. The study analyzes the states’ initiatives at discursive, institutional, and legislative levels, which construct a particular identity of the targeted population with a strong attachment to Turkey as their homeland in general and the ruling elites in particular