site.btaCaretaker PM Yanev Hopes for High Voter Turn-out

November 21 (BTA) - Speaking to reporters after he cast his vote at the second round of the elections for president and vice president here on Sunday, caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev said he hopes for active participation of Bulgarians because how people vote will determine the future of this country.

Yanev urged the Bulgarians to vote for the presidential pair "who personifies the unity of the nation and which best embodies the powers of the presidential institution.

The PM also commented the diplomatic tension between Bulgaria and Turkey on account of border checks performed by the Bulgarian authorities. Yanev said that "the situation at the border is normal". "During election times, the sensitivity increases, as does speaking on what is taking place and what not. So far we know that a specialized operation has been underway at the border for several days. In this connection, probably some people experience discomfort and delays. This presumably could give rise to accusations that it is done on purpose. I do not think this is the case. Let us wait and see how the situation develops. I think things have calmed down," Yanev said.

Shortly before 9 am local time on Sunday, about 50 protesters against what they say is "election tourism" by Bulgarian Turks living in Turkey, blocked for an hour traffic along the motorway on the Bulgarian side of the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint. Their leader, Vesselin Ilchev, said that they "do not want Turkey to determine who Bulgaria's president will be". Negotiations are underway between a team of the protesters and the police. A police representative said the protesters were offered to be escorted to the border crossing checkpoint "to see for themselves that the claims for election tourism are unfounded".

Media reports on Saturday said that Turkey handed a protest note to Bulgaria over checks of buses coming into Bulgaria from Turkey. Friday media reports said that dozens of buses had been blocked for hours at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing. According to Turkish media, the checks are in connection with the presidential runoff in Bulgaria on Sunday. The official position of the Bulgarian authorities is that this is an operation against contraband goods.