Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova said that the possible deployment of US tanker aircraft at Bezmer airbase would not mean Bulgaria is becoming involved in military operations connected with the conflict in Iran. She commented on the issue during a visit to the Graf Ignatievo airbase, where she inspected preparations related to Bulgaria’s new F-16 fighter jets.
Yotova stressed that any decision regarding the presence of foreign military aircraft and personnel on Bulgarian territory must be approved by the National Assembly, as required by law. She said the government is currently following the necessary procedure by referring the matter to parliament.
“It must necessarily go through a decision of the National Assembly, because that is the law. The government is currently implementing the law,” the president said.
She compared the current situation with the previous deployment of American tanker aircraft at Sofia Airport, saying that the authorities had handled the matter differently in the past. According to her, when she first became president, she had not been informed by the defense minister, the chief of defense or the Ministry of Defense that the aircraft had arrived.
Yotova also noted that the previous government had not made the official request public, leaving unclear what commitments were expected from Bulgaria and what conditions had been set.
