Erdogan slams ‘pressure’ on Turks in Bulgaria ahead of vote

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit back on Thursday at what he called "pressure" on the 700,000 Turks in Bulgaria, as tensions mounted between Ankara and Sofia ahead of elections in the EU state.

Bulgaria has voiced anger at Turkey’s open support for a party for the ethnic Turkish minority, which is running in the general elections for the first time on March 26.

"Some of the pressures there that we see and hear seriously upsets us. On one hand you talk about democracy but on the other, you put serious pressure on Turks. This will not work," Erdogan said during a speech in Ankara, without offering examples.

Relations between the two Nato allies have been severely strained during the election campaign as Turkish officials including Ankara’s envoy to Sofia back the Dost party.

Bulgaria is home to a 700,000-strong ethnic Turkish minority, a legacy of the Ottoman empire.

Meanwhile, over 200,000 ethnic Turks with Bulgarian passports who left Bulgaria during the communist era live in Turkey. One third of this community regularly takes part in Bulgaria’s elections.

"I hope that the Bulgarian elections pass peacefully, and results come in a fair and transparent manner," Erdogan said.