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

Ahmed Cevdet Pasha

• Besim Rasim Abdullah [tr], physician
• Mehmet Türker Acaroğlu [tr], Turkish researcher and librarian (born in Razgrad)
• Ahmet Cevdet, Ottoman scholar, intellectual, bureaucrat, administrator, and historian^[1]
• İsmail Fenni Ertuğrul, Turkish philosopher (born in Ottoman Veliko Tarnovo)
• Halil İbrahim Karal [tr], Turkish sociologist, soldier and politician (born in Momchilgrad)
• Ibrahim Kasimov [bg], agronomist
• Maria Kexholmskaia [ru], Turkish child from Bulgaria adopted and Christened by Russian soldiers during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878); she became a nurse during World War I^[2]
• Enis Kortan [tr], Turkish architect (born in Vidin)
• Tahsin Özgüç, Turkish archaeologist^[3]
• Nesrin Özören, Turkish biologist (born in Silistra)
• Osman Nuri Peremeci, historian^[4]
• Mümün Tahir [tr], writer and journalist
• Melih Tahsinoğlu [tr], Turkish pathologist
• İsmail Hakkı Tonguç, Turkish General Director of Primary Education
• Ibrahim Yalamov, historian^[5]
• Orlin Zagorov [bg], philosopher

Activism

• Nuri Turgut Adalı, activist and writer also a prisoner of the Belene labour camp^[6]

Arts and literature

Embiya Çavuş

• Sabahattin Ali, Ottoman and Turkish writer, poet, journalist
• Mehmet Türker Acaroğlu [tr], Turkish writer (born in Razgrad)
• Faik İsmail Arda [tr], Turkish poet (born in Yabalkovets)
• Ahmet Emin Atasoy, Turkish poet, author and interpreter (born in Targovishte)
• İsmail Cambazov [tr], journalist
• Yuksel Chaushev [bg], theater director
• Embiya Çavuş [tr], painter and porcelain artist
• İsmail Çavuş [tr], writer
• Hasan Efraimov [bg], writer
• Ömer Osman Erendoruk [tr], Turkish writer (born in Krumovgrad)
• Mehmed Karahuseinov [bg], poet, artist and translator; he set himself on fire in protest against the "Revival Process"
• Kemal Kurt, Turkish-born German author, translator and photographer (Turkish Bulgarian origin)^[7]
• Recep Küpçü, poet
• Fikret Madaralı [tr], Turkish writer (born in Ottoman Bulgaria)
• Ertuğrul Özkök, Turkish journalist and a daily columnist (Turkish Bulgarian parents from Kardzhali)
• Sevda Shishmanova, producer, director and journalist
• Ahmet Şerif [tr], Turkish writer and poet (born in Razgrad)
• Muharrem Tahsin [tr], writer
• Sabri Tata [tr], writer
• Mehmet Türker [tr], writer
• Embiya Ulusoy [tr], Turkish writer (born in Shumen)
• Murat Yetkin [tr], journalist

Aviation

• Nezihe Viranyalı, one of the first Turkish female aviators (born in Vidin)^[8]

Cinema and television

Cengiz Coşkun

Cansu Dere

Tuvana Türkay

• Nuri Alço [tr], Turkish actor (paternally of Turkish Bulgarian origin)
• Gülsim Ali, Turkish actress and model (born in Ruse)
• Yavor Bakharov [bg], actor
• Zahari Baharov, actor^[9][10]
• Alina Boz, Russian-born actress (Turkish Bulgarian father)^[11][12]
• İbrahim Büyükak, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
• Cengiz Coşkun, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
• Merdin Deniz [tr], actor
• Fahradin Fahradinov, actor^[13]
• Cansu Dere, Turkish actress (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
• İlhan Şen, actor (born in Shumen)
• Fakhradin Fakhradinov [bg], actor
• Macit Flordun [tr], Turkish actor (born in Vidin)
• Tardu Flordun, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian father)
• Ozan Güven, German-born actor (Turkish Bulgarian origin)^[14]
• İsmail Hacıoğlu, Turkish actor
• Yasemin Hadivent [tr], actress^[15]
• Bade İşçil, Turkish actress (partial Turkish Bulgarian origin)
• Yuksel Kadriev, bTV news anchor^[16]
• Hulusi Kentmen, Turkish actor (born in Veliko Tarnovo)^[17]
• Hülya Koçyiğit, Turkish actress (Turkish Bulgarian parents)
• Fikret Kuşkan, Turkish actor (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
• Zeyneb Madzhurova [bg], TV presenter
• 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)
• Neri Terzieva [bg], screenwriter
• 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)
• Emel Yıldız [tr], Turkish actress (born in Ruse)
• Hakan Yildiz, actor^[18]
• 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)^[19]

Military

Fakhri Pasha

• 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)
• Hussein Suleymanov Mutkov [bg], participant in the communist resistance movement during World War II
• 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

Fiki

Toni Storaro

• Sadika Ahmedova [bg], singer
• Reyhan Angelova, singer
• Mustafa Chaushev [bg], singer
• Ciguli, Turkish musician (born in Haskovo)
• Esil Duran [bg], singer and songwriter^[20]
• Fiki, pop-folk singer
• Sibel Gürsoy [tr], Turkish singer (born in Bulgaria)
• Ediz Hafızoğlu [tr], drummer, jazz artist, producer, and songwriter
• Yıldız İbrahimova, jazz musician and folk singer^[21]
• Hasan Ignatov, pianist (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
• Ibrahim Ignatov, pianist (Turkish Bulgarian mother)
• Erol İbrahimov [tr], member of the Bulgarian rock band Wickeda
• Silvia Katsarova [bg], singer
• Kadriye Latifova [tr], folk musician
• Hikmet Mehmedov, choreographer^[22]
• Mesru Mehmedov [bg], conductor
• Orhan Murad [tr], singer
• Tuna Ötenel [tr], Turkish jazz musician, pianist , saxophonist and composer (Turkish Bulgarian father)^[22]
• Emrah Storaro [tr], 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)

Politics

İsmet İnönü

Emel Etem Toshkova

Ahmet Fikri Tüzer

• Hassan Ademov, member of the DPS party
• Yuksel Osman Ahmed [bg], Mayor of Dulovo municipality
• Erdoan Mustafov Ahmedov [bg], member of the DPS
• Nedzhmi Ali, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament^[23]
• Sevim Ali [bg], member of the DPS
• Taner Ali [bg], member of the DPS; Mayor of Antonovo municipality
• Atidzhe Alieva-Veli, member of the DPS party and an elected Member of the European Parliament (2019–present)
• Sezgin Aliibryam [bg], member of the DPS; Mayor of Sitovo municipality
• Nadia Asparuhova [bg], member of the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP); Deputy Prime Minister in 1989–1990
• Ramadan Atalay [bg],member of the DPS
• Hasan Azis [bg], Mayor of the Municipality of Kardzhali since 2003, municipal leader of the DPS in Kardzhali
• Celâl Bayar, 3rd Prime Minister of Turkey (1937–39) and 3rd President of Turkey (1950–60) (Turkish Bulgarian father from Lom Ottoman Bulgaria)
• Merdin Bayram [bg], member of the DPS
• Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı, Ottoman and Turkish philosopher, poet and politician
• Nejdet Cevdet [tr], mayor of Glavinitsa Municipality
• Dzhevdet Chakarov, member of the DPS
• Erhan Chaushev [bg], member of the DPS
• Feim Chaushev [bg], member of the DPS; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (2005–08); Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports (2003–05)
• Kasim Dahl [bg], member of the DPS
• Mehmed Dikme [bg], former member of the DPS; Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (2001–05)
• Svetlana Dilova [bg], member of the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP)
• 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)^[24]
• Ahmed Emin [bg], member of the DPS
• Mümin Gençoğlu [tr], politician
• Mahmut Nedim Gündüzalp [tr], Trade Minister of Turkey (1947–48)
• Hasan Hadjihasan [bg], member of the DPS
• Hamid Bari Hamid [bg], member of the DPS
• Hussein Mutalib Hamdi [bg], member of the EPP; Mayor of Glavinitsa municipality
• Nevin Hasan [bg], member of the DPS
• Ayhan Mustafov Haşimov [tr], Mayor of Loznitsa
• 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)^[25]
• Gyunay Hyusmen [bg], regional Governor of Razgrad
• Ali Ibrahimov (Bulgaria) [bg], member of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party
• Hamdi Iliyazov [bg], member of the DPS
• 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)
• Korman Ismailov [bg], former member of the DPS
• Orhan Ismailov [bg], chairman of the People's Party Freedom and Dignity (VVD)
• Nigar Jaffer [bg], member of the DPS
• Nihat Kabil, former Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Bulgaria (2005–08)^[26]
• Kamen Kalinov [bg], member of the Bulgarian Communist Party (BCP)
• Mustafa Karadaya, chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms
• Tuncher Kardzhaliev [bg], member of the DPS
• 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)^[27]
• Ilhan Kyuchyuk, President of the Youth Movement for Rights and Freedoms since 2005; elected Member of the European Parliament (2014-present)
• Unal Lutfi [bg], member of the DPS
• Lyutvi Mestan, founder of the Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity and Tolerance
• Shirin Mestan [bg], member of the DPS; former Chairwoman of the State Agency for Child Protection (2001–09)
• Durhan Mustafa [bg], member of the DPS
• Osman Oktay [bg], member of the DPS
• Daut Idriz Osman [bg], member of the DPS
• Remzi Osman [bg], deputy chairman of the DPS
• Vezhdi Rashidov, member of the GERB party and the former Minister of Culture of Bulgaria (2009–13)^[28]
• Lutfi Rustemov [bg], member of the DPS; Mayor of Opaka municipality
• Nezhdet Dzhevdet Shaban [bg], member of the DPS; Mayor of Omurtag municipality
• Yashar Shaban [bg], member of the DPS
• Fikret Hyudaetov Shabanov [bg], member of the DPS
• Belgin Fikri Shukri  [bg], member of the DPS
• Mithat Tabakov [bg], member of the DPS; Mayor of Dulovo municipality
• Guner Tahir [bg], former member of the DPS
• Yunal Tasim [bg], member of the DPS
• Emel Etem Toshkova, member of the DPS party; former deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2005–09)^[29]
• Ahmet Fikri Tüzer, Turkish politician; Prime Minister of Turkey (1942) (born in Shumen)
• Nesrin Uzun [bg], member of the DPS

Religion

• Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Islamic theologist

Sports

Said Ibraimov

Yusuf İsmail

Birsent Karagaren

Hilmi Kiremitçi

Tezdzhan Naimova

Emin Nouri

Neriman Özsoy

Kızılcıklı Mahmut Pehlivan

Chetin Sadula

Ertan Tombak

Zehra Topel

• Ismail Abilov, Olympic wrestler
• Emin Ahmed, football player
• Kara Ahmed [tr], Turkish wrestler (born in Ottoman Ludogorie)
• 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)
• Şevket Candar, Turkish football player (born in Shumen)
• Ekrem Celil, Turkish European champion weightlifter (born in Kardzhali)
• Said Chifudov, wrestler^[30]
• 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^[31]
• Rıza Efendioğlu [tr], Turkish football player (born in Kardzhali)
• Mehmed Fikretov, weightlifter^[32]
• 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^[33]
• Yusuf İsmail, Ottoman wrestler (born in Shumen)
• Arhan Isuf, football player
• Ahmet Kara (wrestler) [tr], Ottoman wrestler
• 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
• Hilmi Kiremitçi [tr], Turkish football player (born in Plovdiv)
• Seyfettin Kurtulmuş [tr], Turkish football player (born in Haskovo)
• 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)^[34]
• 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)
• Hüseyin Pehlivan [tr], Turkish wrestler (born in Ottoman Kardzhali)
• Katrancı Mehmet Pehlivan [tr], Ottoman wrestler (born in Shumen)
• Kurtdereli Mehmet Pehlivan, Ottoman and Turkish wrestler (born in Bukurovo)
• Rafi Rafiev [bg], football player
• 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)^[35]
• 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^[36]
• 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)
• Aydın Tuna [tr], Turkish football player (born in Varna)
• Cemil Vatansever [tr], Turkish football player (born in Kardzhali)
• 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

See also

• Turks in Bulgaria
• List of Bulgarians