site.btaBorissov: "Many Times, when Europe Has Resented Erdogan, I Was the Only One to Go There"

Lovech, North Central Bulgaria, October 11 (BTA) - "Our relations with Turkey are good-neighbourly. Many times, when Europe has strongly opposed Erdogan, I was the only one to go there," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said here on Friday, asked by journalists what Bulgaria is doing and whether it is concerned about the Turkish President's threat to open his country's border and let 3.6 million migrants cross into the EU. "One person crossed [into Bulgaria] from Turkey yesterday, they [the Turks] took him back, and today [the migrant pressure is] zero. Thus, so long as Karakachanov and I are in charge, there is nothing to be afraid of," the PM added.

In a speech in Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan called on the EU to "pull itself together" and threatened that if the bloc labelled the Turkish military operation in Northern Syria an occupation he would "open the gates and send 3.6 million refugees" to Europe.

In Borissov's words, what matters most is that the EU should stand up by the agreement with Turkey. "Whatever measures are taken, if 50,000-100,000 migrants come to the fence [along Bulgaria's border with Turkey], neither me nor Karakachanov will order the army and the police to open fire. They will bring the fence down and will cross. So far, however, the pressure on the Bulgarian border is zero, which is why we insist that the agreement should be observed," Borissov said.

"As of this moment, our relations with Turkey are perfect, and this is one more factor of the quiet situation on our border," the Prime Minister stressed.

"We have taken all precautions," Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov said. "Both the Border Police and the army are ready to help. We are ready, so the public needn't panic. The State is doing its job. If necessary, it will react within the space of two hours. More than 2,000 service persons can be deployed at the border within 24 hours. At this point, there is no movement there. At this stage there is no reason to worry," he added. RY/LG