25.04.2020
Bulgarian citizens who are being treated in Turkey and whose treatment has been suspended due to the introduced measures for COVID 19 will be able to continue it. Coordination and patient lists will be carried out by the two countries' foreign and health ministers. This was agreed upon by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The two had a telephone conversation, initiated by the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Borissov put an emphasis on the needs of Bulgarian citizens who have to go to follow-up procedures in Istanbul. The Bulgarian Prime Minister asked the Turkish President to allow these Bulgarian citizens to enter Turkey so that they could continue their treatment, pointing out that they are around 100 people, most of whom have cancer and have to go to chemotherapy. Prime Minister Borissov expressed readiness of the Bulgarian side to comply with all conditions that the Turkish side deems necessary to be met in view of the pandemic, including ambulances from Bulgaria to take patients directly to Istanbul hospitals, accompanied by security teams. The Bulgarian Prime Minister pointed out that the medical establishments themselves say that all the surgically treated patients are seriously ill and must continue their chemotherapy in Istanbul, which are already prepaid. "Just in case, it is important to help Bulgarian citizens to get the needed treatment," Borissov added.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov also emphasised the friendly relations between Bulgaria and Turkey and the good cooperation on a number of issues, including the migrant one. Prime Minister Borissov pointed out that there is no migratory pressure at our border at the moment. The Bulgarian Prime Minister also noted the importance of transport corridors, which continue to operate during the pandemic. Borissov put a focus on the efforts of our country to alleviate heavy traffic so that drivers do their job and there are no huge queues of trucks.
At the end of his conversation with Turkish President Erdoğan, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov congratulated him on the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims and wished him and his family good health.
