Erdogan and Radev discuss Black Sea security and bilateral relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held telephone discussions with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev to address bilateral relations and regional security, specifically focusing on the Black Sea. Erdogan emphasized Turkey's commitment to enhancing commercial and security cooperation with Bulgaria.

Regarding maritime safety, Erdogan noted that Ankara is maintaining communications with both Russia and Ukraine to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. He also expressed regret over recent drone attacks targeting Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, where two merchant vessels were recently hit approximately 70 nautical miles east of the coastal city of Burgas.

Prime Minister Radev stated that while Bulgaria lacks conclusive evidence to attribute the attacks to a specific party, he noted the outcomes appear to benefit Russia. Additionally, Erdogan invited Radev to attend the COP31 climate summit scheduled for November in Antalya, Turkey.