site.btaSocialists to Demand Publicity of Transcript from Borissov-Erdogan Meeting in Varna

Pazardzhik, Southern Bulgaria, March 27 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will demand publicity of the transcript from Monday's meeting between Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Varna (on the Black Sea), BSP Chair Kornelia Ninova said at the BTA press club in the southern city Tuesday.

Borissov hosted a meeting of European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker with Turkish President Erdogan at the Euxinograd Residence near Varna on Monday evening. The European Union - Turkey Leaders' Meeting discussed all aspects of current and future relations between the bloc and its southeastern neighbour.

Commenting on the meeting, Ninova said it was nothing exceptional. This meeting is a continuation of the previous dialogue between Turkey and the EU on unresolved and controversial issues. There are no concrete results or progress made on any of the controversial matters, be that the controversy with Greece on the issue of Cyprus, the matter of a concrete solution for Turkey's accession to the EU, or that of easing visas for Turkish nationals to the EU, the BSP leader said.

The BSP does not accept the position that Bulgaria is host to a meeting of two sides - Europe and Turkey - because Bulgaria is Europe. This country is a member of the European Union and Borissov cannot put it into a third, independent position of a country simply observing the processes, the socialist leader said.

"We learnt that the matter of 'spiritual borders' near Kurdjali [Southern Bulgaria] was raised, but at a one-to-one meeting. However, we did not learn what the answer was. Is there a categorical answer and was this statement, as well as others, definitively said to be unacceptable, and a provocative one for the national sovereignty and the national interest of Bulgaria? That is why, in connection with this, everything discussed should be made public so Bulgarians can be aware what is being decided. That is why the BSP wants publicity of the transcript of these talks," Ninova declared.

In mid-March, Turkish President Erdogan told a local congress of his party in Sakarya that "Kurdjali is part of our spiritual borders". Living in Sakarya are many Turkish emigrants from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries. Reacting to this statement, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said that today's state borders have been affirmed with international agreements, recognized by all countries and are not subject either to doubt or revision.