Turkey Foreign Minister: Bulgaria Is Very Successful Model

Politics » DIPLOMACY | March 19, 2010, Friday // 16:28
Bulgaria: Turkey Foreign Minister: Bulgaria Is Very Successful Model Turkish Foreing Minister Davutoglu (right) during his meeting with Bulgarian PM Borisov. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria and Turkey are an international model for good neighborly relations, declared Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu.

Davutoglu, who is on two-day visit to Bulgaria, delivered a lecture at the Diplomatic Institute of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

In it, he discussed not just the relations between Bulgaria and Turkey but also the new Turkish foreign policy.

“We are not just good neighbors but we have also managed to adapt to the changes in the international situation,” Davutoglu stated pointing out that Bulgaria and Turkey have managed to perform successful transitions from the Cold War era over the last 20 years.

“Bulgaria is a model demonstrating a successful transformation from the policies of the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War to its accession to the club of democratic state and the EU, and this is an extraordinary success,” the Turkish Minister said.

In his words, if there are any unresolved disputes between Bulgaria and Turkey, they can be solved in the event of two conditions – positive attitude and strong political will. He believes that both of these prerequisites are available, and express certainty that none of the unresolved questions will turn into a problem for the bilateral relations.

The two major issues between Bulgaria and Turkey have to do with compensations of expat population. About one million Bulgarians descended from Bulgarian refugees from European Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century claim some USD 10 B in compensations for the property their ancestors left behind. At the same time, some 50 000 Bulgarian Turks who left for Turkey during the notorious “Revival Process” of the 1980s, claim Bulgarian retirement pensions.

In his lecture at the Diplomatic Institute, the Turkish Foreign Minister outline the six principles of Turkey’s new foreign policy: a balance between security and freedom, problem-free co-habitation with the neighboring states, control of crises and political atmosphere, multi-cultural coexistence, compatibility of international relations with various states, and activeness within international organizations.

“Our relations with the EU are strategic, we aspire for full membership, and we are going to achieve it,” Davutoglu stated adding that the current Turkish government was determined to have maximum good relations with its neighbors.

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Tags: Ahmet Davutoglu, turkey, EU, Foreign Minister, Diplomatic Institute

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