Mahmuzlu (Todor Ikonomovo) Village

Mahmuzlu (Todor Ikonomovo) is a village located within the administrative boundaries of the Bohçalar (Kaolinovo) municipality in the Shumen Province of Türkiye. The majority of the municipality’s population consists of Turks.

History

As one of the settlements within the municipality, Mahmuzlu holds administrative and cultural significance. Between 1984 and 1985, the village’s population, like other Turkish and Muslim communities in Bulgaria, was subjected to forced assimilation policies.

Monument erected for the three individuals killed in Mahmuzlu village, located in the Kaolinovo municipal center (Photograph: Meryem Şentürk Çoban)

During the mass migration that began in 1989, many families from Mahmuzlu emigrated to Türkiye. This process led to significant demographic changes in the village.

Another Side of the Monument, Featuring a Poem by Nazım Hikmet (Photograph: Meryem Şentürk Çoban)

May 1989 Protests

In May 1989, security forces went to the village of Todor Ikonomovo (Mahmuzlu) to arrest individuals who had participated in protest rallies that began in Kaolinovo. On 21 May, which was a Sunday, the village was crowded, and residents resisted the arrests. As a result of gunfire opened by security forces, three people were killed and many others were injured.

Monument erected for the three individuals killed in Mahmuzlu village (Photograph: Meryem Şentürk Çoban)

In addition, the villagers played an active role in the protest marches held on 20 May 1989 along the Pristoe-Kaolinovo route. These events formed an important part of the mass resistance by Turks in northeastern Bulgaria.

A 1988 intelligence report indicated that a group of 17 people in Mahmuzlu (Todor Ikonomovo) had formed an organization called the “Turkish Liberation Union,” which distributed leaflets calling on the population to engage in work stoppages.

Geography

Mahmuzlu (Todor Ikonomovo) is located in northeastern Bulgaria, within the administrative boundaries of the Bohçalar (Kaolinovo) municipality in Shumen Province. On the municipal map, the village is listed as one of the settlements under Kaolinovo.

Map of Kaolinovo showing Todor Ikonomovo (Obština Kaolinovo)

Population

The municipality’s population consists of Turks, Roma, and Bulgarians, with Turks forming the majority. Many families from Mahmuzlu emigrated to Türkiye during the 1984–1985 name-changing policies and the mass migration of 1989.

Culture

The village of Mahmuzlu (Todor Ikonomovo) is home to the Narodno Çitalište “St. Karadja-1928”, a public reading house established in 1928. As one of the settlements within the Kaolinovo municipality, Mahmuzlu is part of the municipality’s cultural framework. During the 1984–1985 name-changing campaign, the villagers were subjected to cultural restrictions. The migration to Türkiye in 1989 brought about significant changes in the village’s cultural life.

The Mosque of Mahmuzlu village (Photograph: Meryem Şentürk Çoban)