site.btaTurkish Ambassador Summoned to Foreign Ministry to Account for May 11 Statement

May 13 (BTA) - By order of Bulgarian Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, Turkish
Ambassador to Bulgaria Hasan Ulusoy was summoned Monday to the
Foreign Ministry by Southeastern Europe Directorate head Deyan
Katrachev to account for his statement from May 11, 2019, the
Ministry said Monday in a press release. In his statement,
Ulusoy asked that Bulgarian authorities encourage the study of
Turkish language as a prerequisite for more Turkish investments
in this country.

The Foreign Ministry told Ulusoy that his statement was
politically unacceptable and did not live up to Bulgaria's
expectations for upholding friendly and good-neighbourly
relations.

The Ministry also noted that Turkish investments in Bulgaria
could in no way be bound to the study of Turkish, but should
rather be based on economic logic.

It was also pointed out that Turkish investors should conform to
 the official language in Bulgaria and that it would be more
appropriate for them to support the training of staff who have a
 command of Bulgarian. Meanwhile, the study of foreign languages
 in Bulgaria is a matter of every citizen's free will, and the
conditions for this are at hand.

The Ministry also noted Bulgaria's expectation for Turkey to
adhere to the fundamental principles that are the foundation of
the bilateral relations between the two countries, namely
good-neighbourliness, equality, mutual respect and
non-interference into internal affairs.

Ulusoy noted that his words had been misinterpreted by the
media. He showed the text of his May 11 statement and explained
he did not make recommendations for an obligatory study of the
Turkish language by Bulgarian citizens. He said Turkey does not
intend to interfere in any way in Bulgaria's internal affairs,
and that in his capacity as ambassador, he is guided entirely by
 the aim to develop friendly and mutually beneficial relations
with Bulgaria. RY/TH