Turkish Women in Science during the Totalitarian Regime in Bulgaria (Mefkure Mollova, Hayriye Memova, Zineti Nurieva)

Abstract

The article aims is to trace the life and scientific adaptation of three women from the Turkish community in Bulgaria who were engaged in science during the communist period.They are the only ones from the Turkish community in Bulgaria who during the communist period were engaged in science in the field of humanities. The three have different destinies in science and life, fully determined by the political circumstances and their decisions and choices. Two of them have their scientific careers interrupted - Mefkure Mollova, who refuses to give in to the political pressure of the regime and is expelled from the university and all scientific institutions in the country for the rest of her life; Hayriye Memova, who for a long time follows the rules of the regime until they asked her for an impossible compromise. The third is Zineti Nurieva, who fits into the regime and even supports and works for it. Eventually, all three women complete their scientific and life paths abroad, as emigrants.The study is based on documents from the secret archives of the State Security, memories and personal testimonies. This is so because during the communist regime the documents about the Turks were destroyed and today it’s difficult to find such in the public archives.