Bulgaria Ready to Send 1,000 Troops to Turkish Border to Curb Flow of Illegal Migrants

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th February, 2020) Bulgaria is prepared to send up to 1,000 soldiers and up to 140 pieces of military equipment to the Turkish border in order to prevent the influx of illegal migrants to the Bulgarian territory, Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov said on Friday, hours after Turkey warned it would not further restrict the flow of Syrian migrants into Europe amid an escalation in Syria's Idlib.

Earlier in the day, Omer Celik, the spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, said, after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Syrian forces in the Idlib province, that Ankara was no longer able to restrain the flow of refugees from Syria to Europe.

"I declare, with strong commitment, that the military will fully cooperate and take all necessary measures to protect the country's border, and will not allow a single illegal migrant to the territory of Bulgaria.

For this purpose, the Bulgarian army is ready to deploy up to 1000 troops and up to 140 pieces of the military equipment," Karakachanov wrote on Facebook.

In March 2016, Turkey and the European Union signed a landmark 6 billion euro ($6.6 billion) deal to help curb the Europe-bound migrant flow. Under the terms of the deal, Ankara is obliged to help stem the tide of migrants traveling through Turkey to reach the bloc in exchange for the accommodation of Syrian refugees in Europe on a one-for-one basis.