Union of Democratic Forces (1990-1993)[citation needed] Movement for Rights and Freedoms (1993–2015)(expelled)[1] Independent (2015–2016) Lyutvi Ahmed Mestan (Bulgarian: Лютви Ахмед Местан, Turkish: Lütfi Ahmet Mestan) (born 24 December 1960) is a Bulgarian politician of Turkish-Bulgarian origin.

[1] He subsequently founded a new political force, DOST, acronym of Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity and Tolerance in Bulgarian, and a double entendre also signifying friend in Turkish.

Since Mestan used Turkish for 7 minutes during his speech, he was soon fined by the Sliven regional governor, Marin Kavrakov, with 2,000 lv.

According to Kavrakov, the fine is high because speaking a language other than Bulgarian during the election campaigns brings public danger.

The court also emphasizes that Turkish is both the mother tongue of Mestan and 98% of the inhabitants of the village of Yablanovo, and some of them were not even fluent in Bulgarian.