Bulgarian Tourism Minister Ilin Dimitrov expressed his condolences to the Turkish people who lost their loved ones in Earthquakes. He stated that there is no data on injured or displaced Bulgarians in Turkey at the moment.
Minister Dimitrov highlighted that live power equipment, medical aid and other necessary items had been sent, and many campaigns are underway to assist rescue operations in the neighbouring country.
Tourism Minister reported that he was supposed to be in Istanbul at the EMIT exhibition, but it was postponed. According to information provided by tour operators, there is no data on blocked groups with Bulgarian tourists.
Flights to Istanbul and other provinces of Turkey have been cancelled due to the damage caused by the earthquake and bad weather. In this case, EU Directive 261 states that companies do not owe passengers compensation if the flight is cancelled due to force-major.
Minister Dimitrov also had a conversation with the Turkish ambassador and the Consulate General; there is no data on Bulgarians in distress.
Many Bulgarians reside in Turkey or frequently visit the neighbouring country during holidays. It is anticipated that Bulgarians may have been trapped in Turkey on February 6, when three earthquakes in a row slammed Turkey and Syria, causing more than 8000 fatalities.
No Bulgarian has been reported to have been injured or killed in Turkey as a result of earthquakes up to this point.
Given that Turkey and Bulgaria share a border, several rescue personnel and humanitarian aid are sent to Turkey to support the rescue efforts there.
Bulgaria and Turkey are NATO allies, and other countries have promised to support their partner in times of need. Numerous European nations sent assistance to Turkey, which has just experienced the biggest natural disaster in its history.
To honour the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey, the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, half-lowered the flags yesterday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, also declared seven days of mourning and half-lowered the national flag.