List of Bulgarian Turks

This is a list of notable Turkish Bulgarians who were born in Bulgaria (during the Ottoman or post-Ottoman periods) as well as people of full or partial Turkish Bulgarian origin. In addition to notable Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin, there are many notable Turkish Bulgarian individuals who either emigrated to, or were born in, Turkey and thus have Turkish citizenship.

Academia and medicine

Ahmet Cevdet, Ottoman scholar, intellectual, bureaucrat, administrator, and historian^[1]
İsmail Fenni Ertuğrul, Turkish philosopher (born in Ottoman Veliko Tarnovo)
Tahsin Özgüç, Turkish archaeologist^[2]
Nesrin Özören, Turkish biologist (born in Silistra)
İsmail Hakkı Tonguç, Turkish General Director of Primary Education

Activism

Nuri Turgut Adalı, activist and writer also a prisoner of the Belene labour camp^[3]

Arts and literature

Sabahattin Ali, Ottoman and Turkish writer, poet, journalist
Ahmet Emin Atasoy, Turkish poet, author and interpreter (born in Targovishte)
Kemal Kurt, Turkish-born German author, translator and photographer (Turkish Bulgarian origin)^[4]
Recep Küpçü, poet
Ertuğrul Özkök, Turkish journalist and a daily columnist (Turkish Bulgarian parents from Kardzhali)
Sevda Shishmanova, producer, director and journalist

Aviation

Nezihe Viranyalı, one of the first Turkish female aviators (born in Vidin)^[5]

Cinema and television

Gülsim Ali, Turkish actress and model (born in Ruse)
Zahari Baharov, actor^[6]^[7]
Alina Boz, Russian-born actress (Turkish Bulgarian father)^[8]^[9]
İbrahim Büyükak, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
Cengiz Coşkun, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
Cansu Dere, Turkish actress (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
İlhan Şen, actor (born in Shumen)
Tardu Flordun, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian father)
Ozan Güven, German-born actor (Turkish Bulgarian origin)^[10]
İsmail Hacıoğlu, Turkish actor
Bade İşçil, Turkish actress (partial Turkish Bulgarian origin)
Hulusi Kentmen, Turkish actor (born in Veliko Tarnovo)^[11]
Hülya Koçyiğit, Turkish actress (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
Fikret Kuşkan, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
Şaziye Moral, Turkish female stage and film actress (born in Kardzhali)
Demet Özdemir, Turkish actress, (Turkish Bulgarian origin)
Yavuz Selekman, Turkish actor and Olympic wrestler (Turkish Bulgarian origin)
Gülhan Şen, Turkish television presenter (born in Shumen)
Tuğba Melis Türk, Turkish actress and model; winner of Best Model of Turkey (2011) (born in Sofia)
Tuvana Türkay, Turkish actress (Turkish Bulgarian father)
Çağatay Ulusoy, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian father)
Şoray Uzun, Turkish comedian, writer and television host (born in Razgrad)
Alican Yücesoy, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
Deniz Celiloğlu, Turkish actor (born in Bulgaria, Turkish Bulgarian parents)

Design

Günay Erdem, Turkish architect (born in Shumen)
Sunay Erdem, Turkish architect (born in Shumen)

Food

Silvena Rowe, British celebrity chef and food writer (Turkish Bulgarian father)^[12]

Military

Nihat Anılmış, officer of the Ottoman Army and a general of the Turkish Army (born in Plovdiv)
Ahmet Nuri Diriker, Turkish Brigadier General who fought in the Gallipoli Campaign (born in Ruse)
Abdülkerim Nadir Pasha, Ottoman military commander (born in Chirpan)
Mehmet Hayri Tarhan, officer of the Ottoman Army and a general of the Turkish Army (born in Malko Tarnovo)
Ömer Fahreddin Türkkan, Turkish career officer who was the commander of the Ottoman Army and governor of Medina from 1916 to 1919 (born in Ruse)

Music

Reyhan Angelova, singer
Ciguli, Turkish musician (born in Haskovo)
Fiki, pop-folk singer
Yıldız İbrahimova, jazz musician and folk singer^[13]
Hasan Ignatov, pianist (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
Ibrahim Ignatov, pianist (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
Orhan Murad, singer
Toni Storaro, leading performer on the Bulgarian music label Diapason Records
Suzanitta, chalga singer
Derya Uluğ, Turkish actress (partial Turkish Bulgarian origin)
Ebru Gündeş, Turkish singer (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
Nazan Öncel, Turkish singer and songwriter (Turkish Bulgarian mother)

Politics

Hassan Ademov, member of the DPS party
Nedzhmi Ali, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament^[14]
Atidzhe Alieva-Veli, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament (2019–present)
Celâl Bayar, 3rd Prime Minister of Turkey (1937–39) and 3rd President of Turkey (1950–60) (Turkish Bulgarian father from Lom Ottoman Bulgaria)
Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı, Ottoman and Turkish philosopher, poet and politician
Dzhevdet Chakarov, member of the DPS
Ali Dinçer, Turkish politician; former Mayor of Ankara (1977–80) and Minister of State (1995–96) (born in Razgrad)
Ahmed Dogan, chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party (1990–2013)^[15]
Tunalı Hilmi, Ottoman and Turkish politician (born in Ottoman Targovishte)
Filiz Husmenova, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament (2007–2019)^[16]
İsmet İnönü, 1st Prime Minister of Turkey (1923–24; 1925–37; 1961–65) and 2nd President of Turkey (1938–1950) (Turkish Bulgarian mother from Razgrad)
Mustafa Karadaya, chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms
Metin Kazak, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament (2007–14)
Tchetin Kazak, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament (2007–present)^[17]
Ilhan Kyuchyuk, President of the Youth Movement for Rights and Freedoms since 2005; elected Member of the European Parliament (2014-present)
Emel Etem Toshkova, member of the DPS party; former deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2005–09)^[18]
Ahmet Fikri Tüzer, Turkish politician; Prime Minister of Turkey (1942) (born in Shumen)

Religion

Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Islamic theologist

Sports

Ismail Abilov, Olympic wrestler
Emin Ahmed, football player
Lyutvi Ahmedov, Olympic wrestler
Reyhan Arabacıoğlu, Turkish Olympic weightlifter
Samet Ashimov, football player
Şenol Can, Turkish football player and manager of Fatih Karagümrük S.K. (born in Kardzhali)
Ekrem Celil, Turkish European champion weightlifter (born in Kardzhali)
Beyhan Çalışkan, Turkish football player (born in Ruse)
Ali Ahmet Çapraz, wrestler
Mecnur Çolak, Turkish football player (born in Razgrad)
Demir Demirev, weightlifter
Basri Dirimlili, Turkish football player (born in Silistra)
Aksel Gürcan Demirtaş, Turkish sprinter (born in Varna)
Osman Duraliev, Olymipic wrestler^[19]
Mehmed Fikretov, weightlifter^[20]
Ekrem Genç, football player
Zekeriya Güçlü, wrestler
Fedail Güler, Turkish World Champion weightlifter (born in Bulgaria)
Sibel Güler, Turkish taekwondo practitioner (born in Bulgaria)
Gürhan Gürsoy, football player
Mehmet Hacıoğlu, Turkish football player and coach (born in Plovdiv)
Nurullah Hasan, Ottoman wrestler (born in Shumen)
Ahmed Hikmet, football player
Soner Hyusein, football player
Hergeleci Ibrahim, Turkish oil wrestler (born in Ezerche)
Murad Ibrahim, football player
Said Ibraimov, football player and coach of FC Tobol
Ismail Isa, football player
Hasan Isaev, Olympic wrestler^[21]
Yusuf İsmail, Ottoman wrestler (born in Shumen)
Arhan Isuf, football player
Eray Karadayi, football player
Birsent Karagaren, football player who plays for the Bulgaria national football team
Alper Kasapoğlu, Turkish Olympic athlete (born in Razgrad)
Myumyun Kashmer, football player
Dzhihat Kyamil, football player
Kızılcıklı Mahmut, Turkish wrestler (born in Silistra)
Teynur Marem, football player
Husein Mehmedov, Olympic wrestler
Bahar Mert, Turkish volleyball player (born in Kardzhali)
Mesut Mert, Canadian football coach
Said Mustafov, Olympic wrestler
Halil Mutlu, Turkish Olympic weightlifter (born in (Momchilgrad)
Tezdzhan Naimova, sprinter
Emin Nouri, Swedish and Azerbaijani football player (born in Kardzhali)
Filiz Osmanodja, German-born chess player (Turkish Bulgarian parents)^[22]
Gülümser Öney, Turkish chess player (born in Pleven)
Nesim Özgür, football player
Semavi Özgür, Turkish football player (born in Bulgaria)
Yılmaz Özlem, Turkish football player (born in Bulgaria)
Neriman Özsoy, Turkish volleyball player (born in Razgrad)
Erdoğan Partener, Turkish Olympic basketball player (born in Plovdiv)
Cahit Paşa, Turkish football player (born in Kardzhali)
Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan, Ottoman and Turkish wrestler (born in Bukurovo)
Ismet Ramadan, football player
Bekir Rasim, football player
Shener Remzi, football player
Ruzhdi Ruzhdi, Paralympian track and field athlete
Erol Sabanov, German-born football player (Turkish Bulgarian parents)^[23]
Ayan Sadakov, former football player
Çetin Sadula, football player
Nezir Sağır Turkish Olympic weightlifter (born in Isperih)
Taner Sağır, Turkish World and Olympic weightlifting champion (born in Kardzhali)
Dormushali Safet Saidhodzha, football player
Salim Salimov, Olympic boxer
Edis Seliminski, football player
Nermedin Selimov, Olympic wrestler^[24]
Yakup Sertkaya, Turkish football player (born in Kardzhali)
Shaban Shefket, football player
İlyas Şükrüoğlu, Turkish Olympic wrestler (born in Kardzhali)
Naim Süleymanoğlu, Turkish World and Olympic weightlifter (born in Ptichar)
Aysel Taş, Turkish javelin thrower (born in Bulgaria)
Serafim Todorov, Turkish boxer (born in Peshtera)
Ertan Tombak, football player
Zehra Topel, Turkish chess player (born in Shumen)
Gursel Veli, football player
Aykut Yanukov, football player
Dzuneit Yashar, football player
Nevriye Yılmaz, Turkish basketball player (born in Plovdiv)
Yuksel Yumerov, football player
Oktay Yusein, football player
Serkan Yusein, football player
Taybe Yusein, wrestler
Nejdet Zalev, Olympic wrestler

Others

Türkan Feyzullah, 18-month-old baby shot by Bulgarian troops during an anti-Bulgarisation protest

References

^ Britannica. "Ahmed Cevdet Paşa". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ The New York Times (2005-12-19). "Tahsin Ozguc, 89, Is Dead; Archaeologist Who Worked Sites in Turkey". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ BalGoc. "Nuri Turgut ADALI' yı kaybettik". Retrieved 2010-09-11.
^ Ülker, Hüdai (2002), Güle Güle Kemal Kurt: Ein Nachruf von HÜDAI ÜLKER, Kemal Kurt, retrieved 29 March 2021, Kemal Kurt'la ortak bir yanımız vardı: İkimiz de Balkan insanıydık. Ben Makedonya, o da Bulgaristan kökenliydi. Ancak onun ailesi epey önce gelmiş ve Çorlu'ya yerleşmişlerdi. Kemal Kurt ta, yukarıda belirttiğim gibi, Çorlu'da doğmuştu. Ara sıra buluştuk mu, birbirimize ‚hemşerim' diye hitap ederdik.
^ BG Turk. "Gökyüzünden bir yıldız kaydı: Vidin göçmeni Viranyalı vefat etti". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Бахаров бесен заради турския език в "Под прикритие", Novinite, 2014, retrieved 6 May 2021
^ Явор Бахаров отмъщава на брат си Захари в "Под прикритие", 24 Chasa, 2014, retrieved 6 May 2021
^ 'Mithat Can ile her şey çok güzel', Hürriyet, 2018, retrieved 11 April 2021, Moskova'da doğmadım, Moskova'nın yakınlarında bir kasabada doğdum... annem Rus. Babam Bulgar göçmeni Türk.
^ "Bulgaristan Göçmeni Bir Türk'ün Kızı - Alina Boz", Bizim Gazete, 2018, retrieved 11 April 2021, 14 Haziran 1998 tarihinde Rusya, Moskova'da dünyaya gelen Alina Boz'un annesi Rus Olga Boz, babası Bulgaristan göçmeni Türk'dür.
^ Oğlum seyredip çok eğlenecek', Radika, 2008, retrieved 29 March 2021, Bizimkiler Bulgaristan göçmeni. Sonra Almanya'ya gitmişler. Ben orada doğmuşum, Nürnberg'de.
^ Sinema Turk. "Hulusi Kentmen". Archived from the original on 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Rayner, Jay (2010), "Silvena Rowe's meze recipes", The Guardian, retrieved 7 January 2021, Like so many ethnic Turks, Rowe's father, a highly regarded newspaper editor, Bulgarianised his name. But in the kitchen at home he remained Turkish. "My father would come back from work for lunch and cook the most amazing things," Rowe says. "Börek of thinly sliced aubergine sandwiching cheese, then deep fried, or of course the baklava, which he had learnt from my grandmother."
^ Джаз Фестивал Банско. "Yıldız İbrahimova". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ European Parliament. "Nedzhmi ALI". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Novinite. "WHO'S WHO: Ahmed Dogan". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ European Parliament. "Filiz Hakaeva HYUSMENOVA". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ European Parliament. "Tchetin KAZAK". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ National Assembly Of the Republic of Bulgaria. "EMEL ETEM TOSHKOVA". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Sports-Reference. "Osman Duraliev". Archived from the original on 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ The Sports. "Mehmed FIKRETOV". Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Sports-Reference. "Khasan Isaev". Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
^ Die neue Leichtigkeit, Sächsische Zeitung, 2015, retrieved 29 March 2021, Bilgin und Filiz Osmanodja, Geschwister-Paar einer bulgarischen Familie mit türkischen Wurzeln, wohnen nun in einer WG in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
^ SV Sandhausen holt schwäbische Torwart-Legende, Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, 2017, retrieved 29 March 2021, Der 43-jährige Aalener mit bulgarisch-türkischen Wurzeln war eine Torwart-In-stitution im Südwesten.
^ Sports-Reference. "Nermedin Selimov". Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[1] Britannica. "Ahmed Cevdet Paşa". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[2] The New York Times (2005-12-19). "Tahsin Ozguc, 89, Is Dead; Archaeologist Who Worked Sites in Turkey". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[3] BalGoc. "Nuri Turgut ADALI' yı kaybettik". Retrieved 2010-09-11.

[Ülker2002-4] Ülker, Hüdai (2002), Güle Güle Kemal Kurt: Ein Nachruf von HÜDAI ÜLKER, Kemal Kurt, retrieved 29 March 2021, Kemal Kurt'la ortak bir yanımız vardı: İkimiz de Balkan insanıydık. Ben Makedonya, o da Bulgaristan kökenliydi. Ancak onun ailesi epey önce gelmiş ve Çorlu'ya yerleşmişlerdi. Kemal Kurt ta, yukarıda belirttiğim gibi, Çorlu'da doğmuştu. Ara sıra buluştuk mu, birbirimize ‚hemşerim' diye hitap ederdik.

[5] BG Turk. "Gökyüzünden bir yıldız kaydı: Vidin göçmeni Viranyalı vefat etti". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[6] Бахаров бесен заради турския език в "Под прикритие", Novinite, 2014, retrieved 6 May 2021

[7] Явор Бахаров отмъщава на брат си Захари в "Под прикритие", 24 Chasa, 2014, retrieved 6 May 2021

[8] 'Mithat Can ile her şey çok güzel', Hürriyet, 2018, retrieved 11 April 2021, Moskova'da doğmadım, Moskova'nın yakınlarında bir kasabada doğdum... annem Rus. Babam Bulgar göçmeni Türk.

[9] "Bulgaristan Göçmeni Bir Türk'ün Kızı - Alina Boz", Bizim Gazete, 2018, retrieved 11 April 2021, 14 Haziran 1998 tarihinde Rusya, Moskova'da dünyaya gelen Alina Boz'un annesi Rus Olga Boz, babası Bulgaristan göçmeni Türk'dür.

[Radikal2008-10] Oğlum seyredip çok eğlenecek', Radika, 2008, retrieved 29 March 2021, Bizimkiler Bulgaristan göçmeni. Sonra Almanya'ya gitmişler. Ben orada doğmuşum, Nürnberg'de.

[11] Sinema Turk. "Hulusi Kentmen". Archived from the original on 2010-12-07. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[Rowe-12] Rayner, Jay (2010), "Silvena Rowe's meze recipes", The Guardian, retrieved 7 January 2021, Like so many ethnic Turks, Rowe's father, a highly regarded newspaper editor, Bulgarianised his name. But in the kitchen at home he remained Turkish. "My father would come back from work for lunch and cook the most amazing things," Rowe says. "Börek of thinly sliced aubergine sandwiching cheese, then deep fried, or of course the baklava, which he had learnt from my grandmother."

[13] Джаз Фестивал Банско. "Yıldız İbrahimova". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[14] European Parliament. "Nedzhmi ALI". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[15] Novinite. "WHO'S WHO: Ahmed Dogan". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[16] European Parliament. "Filiz Hakaeva HYUSMENOVA". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[17] European Parliament. "Tchetin KAZAK". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[18] National Assembly Of the Republic of Bulgaria. "EMEL ETEM TOSHKOVA". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[19] Sports-Reference. "Osman Duraliev". Archived from the original on 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[20] The Sports. "Mehmed FIKRETOV". Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[21] Sports-Reference. "Khasan Isaev". Archived from the original on 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

[SächsischeZeitung2015-22] Die neue Leichtigkeit, Sächsische Zeitung, 2015, retrieved 29 March 2021, Bilgin und Filiz Osmanodja, Geschwister-Paar einer bulgarischen Familie mit türkischen Wurzeln, wohnen nun in einer WG in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.

[RheinNeckarZeitung-23] SV Sandhausen holt schwäbische Torwart-Legende, Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, 2017, retrieved 29 March 2021, Der 43-jährige Aalener mit bulgarisch-türkischen Wurzeln war eine Torwart-In-stitution im Südwesten.

[24] Sports-Reference. "Nermedin Selimov". Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2010-09-07.

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