Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Pre-election tension between Sofia and Ankara occurs

Photo: BGNES

Sofia and Ankara, which have been avoiding for a very long time tension related to the migrant crisis, confronted twice in one week only on election issues. First, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested against the recent statement of Turkey’s Minister of Labor and Social Security Mehmet Muezzinoglu. Bulgaria interpreted his statement as unacceptable support towards a given political party and interference in Bulgaria’s home affairs. Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry reminded that Turkey itself banned all types of political propaganda related to the forthcoming Parliamentary elections in Bulgaria. One day later, Ankara called on Bulgaria to cease its measures aimed at limiting political rights of the minorities. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fact that the number of polling stations is restricted to 35 in non-EU countries impedes the Bulgarian nationals in Tukey to cast their ballots at the elections. Following a series of violent disputes the Bulgarian political parties introduced that restriction last year, but Ankara did not react immediately. Apparently, Turkey’s sensitization on that issue is not only due to Sofia’s protest, but also to similar criticism expressed by Germany which intended to restrict political agitations of Turkish officials on its territory related to the forthcoming referendum in Turkey. Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Turkey to make sure such violations would not happen in the future. Thus, the two countries will be able to focus on more important topics in their bilateral relations. Bulgaria’s caretaker Premier Ognyan Gerdzhikov only called the agitation of Turkey’s Labor Minister inappropriate. However, Bulgaria has not abandoned the arguments of its protest and the country’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its stand after Turkey’s official response. The statement of Bulgaria’s caretaker cabinet that there are more important topics in the Bulgaria-Turkey bilateral relations is quite reasonable. However, a regular Bulgarian goverment should discuss those topics with Turkey after the early Parliamentary elections on March 26.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Market Links: GERB - leader in the next parliament, DPS - potential number two

If the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) were to contest the upcoming snap parliamentary elections on 27 October as a unified party, it would receive 15.4% of the electorate's support. GERB is again the leading political player, with 21.9 per cent...

published on 8/28/24 2:38 PM

Politicians in Bulgaria find it increasingly difficult to manage what is happening in the country

The second caretaker cabinet, headed by Dimitar Glavchev, was sworn in before the National Assembly. The main task of the team of caretaker ministers will again be the holding of fair elections, with the next early parliamentary vote scheduled by the..

published on 8/28/24 10:47 AM

Various comments of the parliamentary parties on the new cabinet

Some of the political parties represented in parliament have expressed reservations about Dimitar Glavchev's proposed new cabinet. Against the backdrop of the silence on the part of GERB-SDS and MRF, the party PP-DB came out with a critical position...

published on 8/26/24 3:53 PM