site.bta Turkish President Erdogan, Social Minister Urge Bulgaria to Provide Conditions for Fair, Transparent Elections

Turkish President Erdogan, Social Minister Urge Bulgaria to Provide Conditions for Fair, Transparent Elections

Ankara, March 23 (BTA exclusive by Nahide Deniz) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday refuted claims that Turkey is interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Turkey has always respected the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries, Erdogan said and went on to call on Bulgaria to ensure conditions for fair and transparent elections on March 26, to enable all its citizens to vote in peace and security.

"There will be parliamentary elections in Bulgaria this Sunday, March 26, but we have learnt that there there are attempts to obstruct our compatriots, our brothers of Turkish origin, to exercise their free and democratic right to vote. This is a cause of grave concern for us," Erdogan said.

He also said that while Bulgaria claims to be defending European values, it is pressuring people of Turkish origin not to vote according to their preferences. Erdogan asked rhetorically what is European about this attitude and said that Turkey does not interfere with the policy of other countries but has the right to defend the democratic rights and freedoms of its compatriots.

Erdogan made this statement at a meeting with representatives of migrant communities from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries. The meeting was held in Ankara with over 3,000 participants. This was the fifth and final of a series of meetings initiated by the Turkish Labour and Social Security Ministry with representatives of migrants from Bulgaria and other Balkan countries. The meetings focused on matters related to social rights, employment, health insurance, as well as certification of diplomas of Turkish students studying abroad.

Turkish Labour and Social Policy Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu also urged Wednesday the Bulgarian authorities not to create obstacles at the checkpoints for the Bulgarian immigrants in Turkey, who wish
 to vote in Bulgaria on Sunday.

Muezzinoglu said: "I urge the Bulgarian authorities not to yield to provocations by the extreme nationalists. In the name of democracy, may the incumbents be more respectful to the voting rights of the Bulgarian nationals of Turkish origin, holding Bulgarian passports. We wish that Bulgaria would not allow actions, such as border blockades and stopping of buses, which inflict harm on Bulgaria itself."

The Turkish Minister also voiced hope that the blocking of a Bulgarian-Turkish checkpoint two days ago, when five passenger buses travelling from Turkey to Bulgaria were stopped would remain an isolated case and the necessary measures would be taken to avoid its reoccurrence.

The other day Edirne Vali Gyunai Ozdemir appealed to the Bulgarian authorities not to allow actions of radical
nationalist groups, who blocked the road at the Bulgarian-Turkish border.