site.btaGERB Leader Borissov: Joint Bulgaria-Turkiye Efforts on Illegal Migration Show Results

Bulgaria and Turkiye have the privilege of being located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, which makes transport corridors, railway connections, and the modernization of border crossings a strategic factor for the development of the entire region, GERB leader Boyko Borissov said on Tuesday at a meeting with former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Mehmet Sait Uyanik, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkiye in Sofia.

In a Facebook post, Borissov added that the joint efforts of the law enforcement authorities of the two countries in countering illegal migration, including joint training, information exchange, and the use of modern technologies, are already producing results.

Illegal migration remains a sensitive issue for both Bulgaria and Turkiye, but there has been a noticeable decline in attempts to cross illegally into Bulgaria, he noted.

Borissov noted that the excellent relations between Sofia and Ankara are built on continuous dialogue and mutual respect. This stability makes it possible for bilateral initiatives to develop into real projects with tangible results.

In early July, the interior ministers of Bulgaria and Austria Daniel Mitov and Gerhard Karner inaugurated a new sensor line for surveillance along the Bulgarian-Turkish border. The facility is part of a large-scale project worth BGN 170 million, with funds provided by the European Commission. The first 2.5 km have been built near the village of Golyam Dervent, in the area of responsibility of the Regional Border Police Directorate Elhovo (Southeastern Bulgaria).

By the end of 2026, the new sensor line, equipped with 250 cameras, is expected to cover the remaining 100 km of the border that have so far lacked video surveillance, explained the head of the General Directorate Border Police, Anton Zlatanov.