Balkan origins

Bulgaria lies in the Balkans, a region that has attracted migrations of people from many different ethnic backgrounds in antiquity, the Middle Ages and the present day. This raises the question of where Bulgarians come from. Numerous genetic studies have addressed this issue, giving rise to various theories about our ancestors. According to the most widespread theory, Bulgarians emerged from three main tribal groups that lived on the Balkan Peninsula during the early Middle Ages: Thracians, Bulgars and Slavs. In 2011, the results of the first large-scale genetic study of our people were published. According to it, approximately 80 per cent of modern Bulgarian DNA matches that of most European peoples, indicating that, despite various theories, we do not have a strong genetic affinity with Turkic peoples and Indians. Furthermore, the carriers of the haplogroups identified in the studies were the local inhabitants of our lands from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. This local population was precisely the Thracians.
A year later, the results of another genetic study were published. Using mitochondrial DNA, it identified haplogroups typical of the local ancient population of our lands, again identified as the Thracians.
The studies themselves can be read here: 2011 study, 2012 study.

In conclusion, according to these recent studies, our DNA corresponds most closely to that of the ancient Thracians and considerably less closely to that of the Bulgars.