Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Serim pays visit to Bulgaria

Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Yasin Ekrem Serim met with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Irena Dimitrova and discussed bilateral relations and then travelled to Plovdiv.

Serim visited the historical Cumaya Mosque in Plovdiv and made contacts at the Plovdiv Regional Mufti's Office. In his speech here, Serim said, "Fortunately, in this environment, it is a source of happiness for us that all our compatriots live their own identities and religions so well, and that they have access to them."

Stating that Bulgaria deserves thanks, Serim said, "I know closely what our compatriots here did to the earthquake regions in Türkiye during the earthquake, how they coordinated, how they helped their homeland. I know as the deputy minister who coordinated these affairs at that time."

Meeting with Turkish businessmen

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serim met with Turkish businessmen operating in Bulgaria in Plovdiv.

Pointing out that the trade volume between the two countries has reached 6.3 billion dollars, Serim said, "It is not very difficult to reach 10 billion (dollars). We can work for this," he said.

Stating that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Bulgaria is on the agenda within the framework of close relations between the two countries, Serim said, "On the occasion of this visit, it is envisaged to organise the High Level Business Council Meeting and to discuss all aspects of our bilateral relations with Bulgaria."

Iftar programme in Kardzhali

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serim went to Kardzhali, where Turks and Muslims are concentrated, and attended the iftar programme organised by the Regional Mufti's Office.

In his speech here, Serim said, "Today, wars, conflicts and unrest all over the world show that the need for a culture of solidarity, mutual tolerance and reconciliation among societies is greater than ever."

"The suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters is painful for all of us. The fact that Western countries close their eyes to this human tragedy hurts our consciences. On this occasion, I would like to express once again that Turkey and the Turkish nation stand by their Palestinian brothers and sisters. We are endeavouring with all our strength on every platform to stop the bloodshed, to ensure that the international community does not remain silent to the crisis in Gaza and to provide aid to our Palestinian brothers and sisters."

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Serim also visited the Regional Mufti's Office in Kardzhali and completed his visit to Bulgaria.

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