Bulgarian Vice President Margarita Popova has made clear she and other officials acted within the law regarding a political asylum request from a Turkish national which was rejected, with him being handed over to Turkey.

It is the Vice President and a committee working with his/her institution that are responsible for political asylum procedures.

Abdullah B?y?k, a man supporting US-based cleric Fethullah G?len, was not to be extradited to Turkey as a court ruled against the move back in March. G?len has been accused by Ankara of being behind the failed coup attempt in the country.

"After research done by the Committee over the course of a few months, no data was collected that suggests there is ground for [B?y?k] to be granted precisely this type of protection," the Bulgarian National Radio quotes her as saying.

"He pretends [he might be facing] political persecution and that he might be inconvenient to authorities, this citizen in his own country [sic!], but with political motives one much ask for another kind of protection."

"I followed the law without affiliation to any conjuncture," she has said.