Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 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

Илие Боложан

Balkan developments

Romania continues policy of gradual budget deficit reduction Romania should end the year with a budget deficit amounting to 8.4%, as compared to 9.4% at the end of 2024, as negotiated with the EU, PM Ilije Bolojan has announced. During his visit..

published on 9/26/25 3:45 PM
The building of the current Bulgarian Parliament

Three political parties contest the second place in case of early elections: survey of Trend agency

GERB-SDS party maintain their dominance in new parliamentary elections with 26.4%, show the results of a survey by the sociological agency "Trend". The poll was conducted on behalf of 24 Chasa daily through a direct standardized "face-to-face" interview..

published on 9/25/25 11:10 AM
Ursula von der Leyen, Strasbourg, 10 September, 2025

The EU’s new policies and Bulgaria’s place in them

A new path ahead for the European Union – this is what the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen outlined in her annual state of the union address in Strasbourg a few days ago. To summarize – the economic and military..

updated on 9/15/25 11:11 AM