Özet:

Thisstudy is on Turkish language education which is ofsignificance forthe preservation of national identity ofthe Turksin Bulgaria and forthepermanence oftheir consanguinity with Turkey. Within this context, the paper focuses on the state of the Turkish languageeducation at the level of higher education in Bulgaria. The study principally aims to evaluate and to present Turkey’s policies on Turkish language education in the institutions of higher education in Bulgaria through the perspective of the Turks in Bulgaria. To this end, by employing qualitative research methods, interviews were conducted and primary data were acquired through these interviews. The acquired data were subjected to content analysis, and the categories and codes obtained as a result of the analysis were interpreted and discussed within the framework of Rogers Brubaker’s theory of accidental diaspora. The findings in the study indicate that Turkey has not been able to develop direct policies aimed at the functioning of Turkish departments and programs at the universities in Bulgaria, for they are autonomous institutions. In addition to this, the findings demonstrate that Turkey supports Turkish language education of the Turks in Bulgaria in the institutions of higher education by organizing in-service trainings, seminars, summer schools as well as providing lecturers and scholarships through such institutions as Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, and Yunus Emre Institute.

Anahtar Kelimeler: