Bulgarian PM in talks with Erdoğan on Syrian migrants: ‘No direct threat to Bulgaria’
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the situation in Syria and the migrant situation in a telephone conversation on February 28, agreeing to meet on March 2, the government information service in Sofia said.
“During the conversation it was clarified that there is currently no direct threat to Bulgaria,” the statement said.
The phone call took place a few hours after Borissov told a Cabinet meeting that he had ordered border security stepped up following reports that Turkey would not bar the flow of refugees across its borders into Europe.
The media statement said that Borissov told Erdoğan that Bulgaria highly appreciates Turkey’s contribution regarding the migration situation and understood the huge difficulties that Turkey had been experiencing for years.
Borissov said that in such a situation, neither Turkey nor any country should be left isolated, but should be supported.
He expressed confidence that Bulgaria and Turkey would continue to work together in the interest of dealing with the crisis in Syria and halting migrant flow and pressure.
Borissov expressed profound condolences over the Turkish soldiers killed in the Syrian province of Idlib, the statement said.
Borissov said that the only solution to the crisis in Syria was a peaceful political one.
He said that implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement was key. It was of the utmost importance that the EU has a unified position on the migration issue.
Borissov said that he would inform European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and EU leaders about the conversation with Erdoğan and urge the EU to put greater efforts into a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
(Archive photo: Erdoğan and Borissov in talks in April 2018)