Bulgaria and Turkiye will cooperate in combating crimes committed by young people, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said on Tuesday. He and Turkiye’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, who is visiting Bulgaria, made joint statements to the media.
“We share the Turkish side’s view that crimes committed by young people are a phenomenon that we need to combat, and we agreed to cooperate in this area,” Demerdzhiev said.
I believe that no country can ensure the security of a region on its own, and in this regard, the good relations and cooperation between Bulgaria and Turkiye provide a solid foundation for achieving security in the Balkans and the Black Sea region, the Minister added.
Demerdzhiev thanked Turkiye for its efforts to combat illegal migration and return illegal migrants to their countries of origin, as these efforts are appreciated both by the European Union and the European Commission. At the extraordinary ministers’ meeting on the migrant crisis in Ceuta, the good cooperation between Bulgaria, Turkiye and Greece was cited as an example of how the EU’s external borders should be protected, Demerdzhiev added.
He said that his Turkish counterpart’s visit is a clear sign of the level of goodneighbourly relations between Bulgaria and Turkiye, based on partnership, mutual respect and trust.
Demerdzhiev said that the fight against illegal migration, drug trafficking, drug distribution, human trafficking and smuggling were among the common priorities that he and Ciftci identified. “I assured my Turkish counterpart that Bulgaria will fight organized crime and terrorism in all its forms without compromise. I believe that our cooperation in this regard will continue to improve and strengthen,” Demerdzhiev said. The two had also discussed security and management of the Bulgarian-Turkish border.
Demerdzhiev said he will return the visit to Turkiye and take part in the next meeting of the trilateral format between Bulgaria, Turkiye and Greece on combating illegal migration and protecting the borders.
