Documents verifying ownership rights of Bulgarian refugees who fled Eastern Thrace (i.e. today's European Turkey) in the period around and after the wars of 1912-1918, will be collected and made available by the end of 2011.

The information was announced Monday by the Bulgarian Minister without Portfolio for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, who spoke in an interview for the Bulgarian news agency BTA, pointing out the campaign is still in its initial stage and vowing to carry it out until completion, despite looming difficulties.

"The heirs of refugees who do not have any documents should not despair – we have almost all archives of the Ottoman Empire," Dimitrov said, and explained the information will be available online through the official site of the Bulgarian "Archives" Agency.

Turkey will have to pay compensations for the properties of about 800 000 Bulgarians who have been chased away from their lands, according to the Minister. He further pointed out the exact amount of these compensation is not yet determined, but Turkey is willing to resolve the issue despite any possible debates and disagreements.

During a recent trip to Sofia, the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borisov that when there are documented rights, Turkey would honor them.

Back in January, Dimitrov stirred a diplomatic scandal with comments Bulgaria might bind Turkey's application for EU membership to a demand for the payment of some USD 20 B of compensations for the property of Bulgarian refugees, prompting Borisov to give him a final warning.

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