Bulgarian MPs approve air policing deal with Türkiye
Bulgaria’s Parliament voted on August 8 to approve a memorandum of understanding signed in Ankara in February 2024 with Türkiye on cross-border air space security operations.
Cross-border airspace security operations are conducted by duty fighter jets of one country in the air space of a neighbouring country on the basis of a memorandum of understanding concluded between the governments of the two Nato member countries, the caretaker government said at the time that it tabled the memorandum for ratification.
Bulgaria has signed memoranda of understanding and conducts such cross-border air space security operations with Romania and Greece, the statement said.
The memorandum of understanding between Bulgaria and Türkiye defines the rights, responsibilities and obligations of the parties, as well as the basic principles, procedures and conditions for conducting cross-border operations to protect the air space of the two countries, it said.
At the same sitting on August 8, Bulgaria’s Parliament ratified a memorandum of understanding with Romania on the establishment of a Regional Special Operations Component Command (HQR-SOCC).
The HQR-SOCC will have command and control capabilities for assigned multinational special operations forces and support forces for the conduct of Nato operations.
It will contribute to strengthening the deterrence and defence potential of the south-eastern flank of the Nato Alliance, the caretaker government said at the time that it asked Parliament to ratify the memorandum.
As The Sofia Globe reported at the time, the memorandum of understanding was signed by Bulgaria’s caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tîlvãr on July 10 during the Nato Summit in Washington DC.
(Archive photo of a Turkish Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon: US Air Force)
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