Following the extradition of Abdullah Büyük, one of the largest financiers of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov vowed to provide more support to Ankara for the extradition of other FETÖ suspects.
“With Turkey, we have to try to build the best possible relations. Even if the price is that they take all of our heads away,” Borisov said during an interview with the morning program on NOVA TV.
He also denied any connection between the move to expel Büyük and efforts to avoid an increased refugee influx into Bulgaria. The pro-FETÖ businessman was handed over to Turkish authority on Thursday after being denied political asylum.
“It is unpleasant to find out they acted in possible violation of the law,” he pointed out.
“I have ordered Interior Minister Rumiana Bachvarova to carry out a check to see whether there are any lapses. If someone is guilty, they will be punished and sacked,” he added.
He remarked that Büyük has been staying in Bulgaria without any legal and formal documents.
“I place trust in the actions of the interior ministry,” the Prime Minister pointed out.
He stated that the government of Bulgaria, an EU member state, will act differently from other leading countries in the bloc to establish good relations with Turkey.
"We are facing an enormous crisis between Turkey and the European Union, a crisis in which our leaders are the harshest possible threats. The whole Europe is surrounded with fences at the moment,” the Bulgarian Prime Minister says, referring to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan's statement last week on France Le Monde newspaper, when he threatened to open borders to the EU for refugee crossing if the bloc don't work according to a Turkey-EU agreement.
“The challenge is not only to keep the channel of communication with Ankara open, but also to ensure that Turkey will not allow the free passage of refugees to Bulgaria,” Borisov said.
