A Turkish Newspaper in Bulgaria: Deliorman (1924-1929)

Bulgaria has always been an important country for the Ottoman Empire and later the Republic of Turkey. With the Ottoman Empire's conquest of the Balkans, Turkish nomadic tribes settled in this region and significantly increased the Turkish population there. The peace policy implemented by the Ottoman Empire allowed Turkish and Bulgarian communities to coexist peacefully for a long time. The rise of nationalism in Europe, which affected the whole world, also had a considerable impact on the Ottoman Empire. The last quarter of the 18th century and the first quarter of the 19th century were a tense period for Turkish-Bulgarian relations. After the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War, the Turkish population in the Balkans suffered a significant decline, which continued after the First Balkan War. Despite great losses and migrations experienced by the Turks, a significant Turkish population has managed to maintain their presence in Bulgaria. After Bulgaria declared its independence in 1908, Turks living in this region fought important struggles to maintain their existence. The newspapers were the primary witnesses to this struggle. The Turks in Bulgaria tried to make their voices heard by publishing numerous newspapers in Bulgaria. One of the most significant newspapers among them is Deliorman newspaper. The Deliorman newspaper, which published for approximately 11 years, recorded significant information about the situation of Bulgaria and the Turks living in Bulgaria in history. The Deliorman newspaper, published weekly, had a rich team of writers and carried out an intense publication life, being not only a news newspaper but also a representative of the Bulgarian Turks. Amid the changing political and social life in Bulgaria, it brought forth the many concerns of the Bulgarian Turks and advocated for their rights through its newspaper pages. This study aims to shed light on the position of Deliorman newspaper in the history of Turkish press in Bulgaria and to present the political, social and culturel situation of Turks in Bulgaria.