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''The talks with a parliamentary group which had stated categorically in advance that it would not participate in the process of forming a government and calls for immediate new elections are pointless'', President Rumen Radev said with regard to his..
President Rumen Radev's consultations with parliamentary groups continue. Today, he will meet representatives of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (led by Ahmed Dogan), There is Such a People (ITN) and MECH. Radev has already held talks with..
At today's consultations with President Rumen Radev on forming a government within the 51st National Assembly, the leader of the nationalist Vazrazhdane party, Kostadin Kostadinov, said that if Vazrazhdane was given a third mandate to form a government,..
Bulgaria has emerged from a long political slumber – 81 days after the sixth early parliamentary elections, the National Assembly elected the country's..
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