site.btaBulgarian Interior Ministry Denies Having Violated the Law upon Abdullah Buyuk's Handover to Turkish Authorities

Bulgarian Interior Ministry Denies Having Violated the Law upon Abdullah Buyuk's Handover to Turkish Authorities

Sofia, August 11 (BTA) - Bulgarian Interior Ministry Deputy Chief Secretary Georgi Arabadjiev Thursday dismissed allegations that his Ministry had violated the law when it handed over Abdullah Buyuk to the Turkish authorities.

On Wednesday, Turkish national Abdullah Buyuk, suspected by Turkey of ties with what Turkey calls 'the Fethullah Gulen Terror Organization (FETO)', was coercively taken to the border and handed over to Turkey at the Kapikule Checkpoint because he had exceeded his authorized stay in Bulgaria.

Speaking at a news briefing, Arabadjiev said that Bulgaria had observed all provisions of the law in this particular case, specifying that a representative of the Ombudsman or of NGOs were not present during Buyuk's handover to the Turkish authorities "because this is not mandatory under the law."

Earlier on Thursday, some media quoted the Aliens in the Republic of Bulgaria Act as requiring that the implementation of the coercive administrative measures of withdrawal of the right to stay, coercive taking to the border and expulsion be monitored by the National Ombudsman or empowered employees of the Ombudsman's administration and by representatives of national or international non-governmental organizations.

A request for Buyuk's extradition was submitted on February 15, 2016 by the Anatolian Chief Republic Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, acting on which the Turkish national was remanded by the Court. On March 9, the Sofia City Court rejected the request for the person's extradition, and 20 days later the Sofia Appellate Court confirmed this decision.

Asked how the Turkish businessmen could be expelled once the court rejected the extradition requested by Turkey for lack of "guarantees of a fair trial," the Interior Ministry Deputy Chief Secretary explained that the former is a criminal proceeding and the latter is an administrative proceeding and the two are completely unrelated.

He categorically denied media reports that a deal between Turkey and Bulgaria had influenced Buyuk's expulsion. He added that there had been no communication with the Turkish authorities on the handover of the businessman, wanted in connection with terrorism and money laundering, but said that everything was arranged through Interpol. Without elaborating, Arabadjiev said that Interpol had provided information about Buyuk that gave cause for concern.

A question about how the Turkish media found out about the case and covered Buyuk's handover on site remained unanswered.

Bulgaria expelled Buyuk after he stayed in this country for more than three months without valid documents, Arabadjiev said. The man was detained in Sofia's Mladost Quarter on Wednesday, and just several hours later he was handed over to the Turkish authorities, Interior Ministry Migration Directorate Director Nikolay Nikolov said.

On July 29, the Administration of the President issued a document refusing political asylum to Buyuk. Subsequently, the State Agency for Refugees informed the Interior Ministry that no other procedure had been initiated in respect of the man. On the strength of this information, Nikolov ordered Buyuk's expulsion on August 9.

Nikolov further specified that the man was detained a day later (on Wednesday) during a routine check by a police patrol. He was "accidentally identified" by the law enforcers.

Even from Turkey, Buyuk can appeal Nikolov's order, but this would not stay its enforcement.