Approached by reporters here on Monday, caretaker Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said that at the meeting with his Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu on Sunday, it was decided that Turkiye should participate more actively in actions to prevent large migrant groups from gathering at the border. Demerdzhiev pointed out that these actions have already had an effect and that the pressure on Bulgarian border guards has significantly decreased.
"We believe that with mutual efforts and the joint working group that has been set up we will be able to reduce the pressure to a minimum. As you can see at the moment, we strive to apprehend people who cross our territory. There has been no such effort in previous years and months, and that is why the main criticism has been directed at us. In recent months, we have been dealing with this and we have received positive feedback from both our partners and the EU," the Interior Minister said.
He pointed out that the Turkish side has deployed many forces along the Bulgarian border, including the gendarmerie, which is an exceptional force in Turkiye, as well as forces of the military. Demerdzhiev said that they are deployed at various strategic approaches to the border and thus the gathering of large groups of migrants is prevented. He also added that Turkish uniformed officers are now patrolling much more actively on their side and making checks for illegal weapons, drugs, and human smuggling.
"I handed over to the minister yesterday lists of Turkish nationals who have engaged in such illicit activities, and I received his assurance that there will be a raid in Turkiye. Drug-related raids have already taken place. Large quantities of drugs have been seized in these operations. This interaction will certainly lead to results and improve the situation regarding this type of crime in both countries," Demerdzhiev added.
/DS/
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