PM Borissov: We are adamant that the military operation in Syria must stop

“We are adamant that the military operation in Syria must stop, because the risk of a humanitarian crisis is very high, and it is only diplomacy that can resolve the conflict, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on October 15 after briefing President Rumen Radev on the outcome of a security council meeting of the cabinet on the situation in Syria.

The meeting was called amid a worsening crisis in northern Syria following Turkey’s military operation against Kurdish fighters last week.

Borissov met Radev immediately after the security council meeting to brief him on the work being done by Bulgaria’s security and intelligence services, the Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and Border Police. He said that there were “zero” migrants at Bulgaria’s border with Turkey. There was more migration pressure from Greece, he added, but “we have taken additional measures there and its also calm. We are adamant that the military operation must stop, because the risk of a humanitarian crisis is very high. And if a humanitarian crisis occurs, that means an increase in the migrant wave – these are related processes. So we insist that the military actions be stopped and it is only diplomacy that can resolve this conflict,” Borissov said.

involving the Border Police, Interior Ministry, the military and special forces.

We have found that our measures are working perfectly so far and we have zero migration. As for emergencies that might come, involving the Border Police, Interior Ministry, the military and special forces. The President and I discussed our involvement of the Council and the protection of our land borders, as operational plans, the borders of the EU, not only of Bulgaria. So it was a very useful meeting, Borissov noted.

“We have more than $5 billion worth of trade with Turkey and they are our neighbours, so we are strongly opposed to the operation continuing because it bears a humanitarian crisis.”

Borissov said that the sanctions against Russia, with which Bulgaria has far less trade than with Turkey, had cost Bulgaria more than half to a billion leva.

“So I hope diplomacy and the combined efforts of everyone work, and we should not forget that Turkey is a member of NATO and it may ask to invoke Article 5. That would make things very interesting,” he said.

(Article 5 refers to NATO’s collective defence meaning that an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies.)

“I want to maintain the agreement with Turkey and my colleagues, when they speak, to know that we have a maritime and land border. If 50 or 100 or 200 000 migrants enter Bulgaria, I do not know at all what will happen with the country, and while Turkey is 100 per cent compliant with the agreement with Bulgaria and it works perfectly, I owe it to our security to uphold this position,” Borissov said.