The Myth of the “Fifth Column” in the Discourse on the Political Organisation of Bulgarian Turks

The first years of democratic transition in Bulgaria were marked by profound social processes. One of the aims of the political elites of the time was to repair the state’s ethnic policies. However, the 1990s in the country also saw an explosion of nationalist and xenophobic sentiments. Nationalist communities sought not only what united the nation, but also appeared as a threat to its integrity. Therefore, the formation of a new identity also meant pointing to what constitutes a kind of antithesis of Bulgarian identity. The Turkish minority was entangled in this narrative of foreign influence, imposing the label of the so-called “fifth column” on this group. The myth of the “fifth column” itself was present in the Bulgarian public debate much earlier, but after 1989 it acquired a new dimension. Nowadays, it is mainly used to criticise the activities of the political organisations of the Turkish minority and their links with the Republic of Turkey. The aim of this article is to show the etiology of this issue and to identify the interest groups that are actively constructing a similar discourse in contemporary Bulgaria.