Bulgaria has deployed 230 troops to reinforce border police patrolling along the border with Turkey as pressure on the border could be expected to increase in view of the unsuccessful attempt for coup carried out by a group within the Turkish military overnight.

At present, there were no indications for heightened refugee pressure exerted along the border with Turkey.

This was stated by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Saturday after chairing an extraordinary meeting on the latest developments in Turkey.

The meeting was attended by the the heads of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), State Intelligence Agency and the interior ministry.

Borisov informed that Turkey had reopened checkpoints along the border with Bulgaria. In the aftermath of the attempted coup, checkpoints were closed on the Turkish side, while border police patrols and military presence were stepped up on the Bulgarian side.

The prime minister had ordered Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev, Chief of Defence General Constantin Popov and the interior ministry's Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov to visit the border checkpoints, to examine the situation and to hold meetings with border police officers and servicemen .

Borisov had all assurances that the border will not be subject to pressure as both Bulgaria and Turkey were taking the necessary measures on guarding it.

According to him, the conflict in Turkey has not been completely localised yet. He pointed that tension had gone down, but once again recommended to Bulgarian citizens to postpone their travel to Turkey.

The prime minister assured the Bulgaria keeps an airplane in readiness to take off to Turkey if it becomes necessary to provide aid to Bulgarians there.

He said that at present, there was no information on Bulgarians injured in the clashes occurring during the attempted coup.

Also on Saturday, Borisov met with Turkish ambassador to Sofia, His Excellency Suleyman Gokce. The Bulgarian prime minister expressed his condolences to the relatives of the victims and pointed to the need for finding a lasting peaceful solution in Turkey..

The ambassador thanked for the delicate and timely statement made by Borisov and the timely and adequate measures taken at the border checkpoints. Gokce also passed to him greetings from Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

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