WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF ATAKA?
17 06 2011
Strange developments are afoot in Bulgaria. The Sofia Head Prosecutor’s Office has made a statement pointing towards banning the racist and fascist ATAKA party. However, one should not pass over this matter in a few sentences.
The ATAKA party which is known for its racist ideas ad fascist policies is trying to win votes in Bulgaria by provoking anti-Turkish sentiment. ATAKA, which constantly causes tensions to run high in the country and causes ethnic problems has carried out a number of planned provocative activities.
For example, previously a demonstration held before the largest mosque in Sofia had turned into clashes which left many people injured following attempts to set fire to prayer mats. ATAKA leader Volen Siderov had later announced that Muslims in Bulgaria had called for a jihad and that they wanted to set up an Islamic state in Bulgaria. Siderov and his men had previously loudly broadcast Christian hymns from loudspeakers placed on a vehicle during Friday prayers at the Banya Basi Mosque.
Commenting on the events, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has said that he had no knowledge of the attack on the mosque which left 10 people injured and 4 people in police custody.
Borissov had previously stated in a speech given in the USA in February 2009 that “those of different ethnic origins living in the country are threatening its future, at present 1 million Gypsies, 700,000 Turks and 2.5 million pensioners are living in the country and that this poor human material is the greatest problem of the country”.
ATAKA leader Siderov who is supported by and in turn supports Borissov had punched member of parliament of Turkish origin Kurman Ismailov in a radio programme he had attended. During the programme he also claimed that prayers at mosques were armed with knives.
Today, the call to prayer is not allowed in some cities in Bulgaria. Only the noon and afternoon call to prayers are allowed. At present there are between 1.5 million to 2 million Muslims in Bulgaria, 1,128 mosques and 302 shrines. On the other had 12 mosques built in the Ottoman era have been possessed by the government and are not open to worship. It would therefore be wrong to think that Siderov is acting alone. It may be thought that Borissov’s support for ATAKA is the reflection of a political and administrative will.
Although the Sofia Chief Prosecutor’s Office may have expressed that ATAKA could be banned, it is difficult to understand what it was up to until now. EU member Bulgaria has to abide by the principles of EU institutions, the fundamental values of the EU, the spirit of the EU and most importantly the European body of law.
Let alone the EU, in places under difficult circumstances such as Afghanistan an attack on holy places and disrespect for religion is a crime. If ATAKA can put pressure on the Turkish minority that far exceeds its own power and can implement oppressive policies with impunity from the law, the judiciary and the state, the point needs to be underlined. Why did not the Sofia Chief Prosecutor’s Office act when the mosque in Kazancik was torched?
Do not the slogans used by ATAKA such as “end the Ottoman yoke”, “Turks to Turkey”, “Gypsies should be made soap” have the status of evidence in the eyes of the prosecutor’s office? Does this office deem the attempts by ATAKA to violently prevent the Balkan folklore festival organised by the Turkish minority in line with the Bulgarian constitution?
It is therefore not possible to view the fascist attacks and the racist moves taking place in Bulgaria as the individual hysterics of Siderov. The Bulgarian President Georgi Pirvanov has said “If there is evidence of rising ethnic and religious tension in Bulgaria, I am prepared to call the National Security Council to convene regarding the matter” but is yet to say anything more concrete.
Sofia Chief Prosecutor Nikolay Kokinov has said that “If the crime of promoting ethnic and religious hatred can be proven to have been committed by ATAKA, procedure for banning the party may be commenced”, yet the attitude seems more like a warning to ATAKA before it is punished than an attempt at punishment.
Sofia has a history of shameful crimes against Turks and Muslims. Sofia has to show that it has the necessary will by acting with knowledge and consciousness of its many past crimes. Tolerating ethnopaths such as Siderov may be giving Sofia a secret advantage which we cannot see or regard as important. However, nothing changes the fact that Sofia needs to act more carefully and delicately due to historical reasons.