In a telephone conversation with head of State Rumen Radev, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed gratitude for Bulgaria's support in the rescue operations after the two very strong earthquakes in Turkiye. Erdogan underlined Bulgaria's swift response, as it was the first EU country to send rescue teams on the ground in the affected areas.

With the support of the Bulgarian institutions, hundreds of Bulgarian volunteers took part in the search and rescue operations in our southeastern neighbour. Radev pointed to Bulgaria's commitment and solidarity in this difficult moment for Turkiye. The head of State also expressed this country's readiness to continue providing support to deal more quickly with the quake aftereffects, so that no time is wasted in terms of the identified prospects in bilateral relations.