Authorities in the Kırklareli province in Thrace announced yesterday they have broken ties with Dobrich and Burgas after the two Bulgarian municipalities decided to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. Dobrich´s status as a “sister city” has also been rescinded.

Cavit Çağlayan, mayor of Kirklareli from the Republican People´s Party, or CHP, said the Foreign Ministry had sent a warning asking the municipalities not to establish ties with Burgas and if there were ties, to terminate them.

He said 12 municipalities in Bulgaria had recognized the so-called Armenian genocide, but what really mattered to them was Dobrich´s actions. “The Dobrich decision upset us,” Çağlayan said. “We need to show them there is a price to pay, which is a cross-border project worth YTL 600,000. We haven´t signed it and told them why.

“We don´t have ‘sister city´ relations with Burgas,” he said. “We sent them a letter condemning their decision to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.” Çağlayan said he believed the Burgas decision was influenced by the growing power of the right-wing National Union Attack, or Ataka, party in the Burgas municipal assembly. 

Source: www.turkishdailynews.com.tr

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So far for good neighbours....