Bulgaria and Türkiye reaffirm commitment to Black Sea security

Bulgaria and Türkiye have agreed to strengthen bilateral and trilateral initiatives with Romania aimed at ensuring free navigation in the Black Sea, following a telephone call between Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan expressed concern over drone attacks on commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.

The two leaders agreed that a moratorium on military attacks against commercial ships in the Black Sea, a proposal Radev raised at a European Council meeting, is a reasonable and feasible solution that takes into account the interests of all countries.

The call also covered ways to expand the capacity of border crossings and improve connections between the two countries, including with European Union financial support. Radev invited Erdoğan to a summit planned for early 2027 in Sofia, under the auspices of the European Commission, on links between Europe and Central Asia.