Bulgaria's nationalist Ataka party has condemned the prime minister's vowed support for Turkey's accession to the EU, despite being his staunchest supporter.

"Not a single prime minister has the right to talk about this issue on behalf of the people", the nationalist leader Volen Siderov said from the rostrum on Wednesday as the MPs debated the first no-confidence motion against the center-right government, headed by Boyko Borisov.

Volen Siderov, dressed up in a T-shirt saying "No" to Turkey's accession to the European Union slammed Erdogan's visit to Bulgaria as "illegal" and made a pledge to voice openly his criticism when the government makes a faux pas.

During the visit of Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sofia on Monday, Bulgaria's Prime Minister spoke in favor of Ankara's EU candidacy and showed his irritation over the criticism by France's ambassador in Bulgaria, Etienne de Poncins, who claims Sofia has no clear position on Turkey's EU prospects.

Borisov also ruled out a possible referendum on Turkey's EU accession, for which Ataka has been demanding.

Earlier in the week another nationalist party VMRO said they are enraged by Prime Minister Borisov's statement and have collected 330 000 signatures in support of a referendum in Bulgaria on the EU accession of its neighbor Turkey. They have threatened to call up the 330 000 people who signed their referendum petition for nation-wide protests in reaction to the policies of the Bulgarian government on Turkey's EU bid.

Under Bulgarian legislation, if a referendum demand is backed by 500 000 citizens, a referendum has to be schedule; if it is backed by fewer than 500 000 but more than 200 000, the Parliament is obliged to hold a debate and a vote on whether to schedule a referendum.

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