Türkiye, Bulgaria vow closer cooperation against rising gang crime
Türkiye and Bulgaria on Aug. 11 pledged to strengthen joint efforts against organized crime groups, which have been on the rise in both countries.
“New-generation criminal organizations have now evolved into new-generation terrorist organizations. As two countries sharing the same border, I believe it is important for us to cooperate and join forces in combating these organizations,” Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said at a press conference in Sofia with his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivan Demerdzhiev.
Çiftçi pointed to significant progress in cooperation with Bulgaria in the fight against the gangs, noting that Bulgarian authorities had extradited 89 people wanted by Türkiye.
“Negotiations regarding the extradition of 19 individuals are ongoing. I believe that the necessary assistance and support will also be provided on this matter. On the other hand, Türkiye has extradited 24 individuals wanted by the Bulgarian authorities,” he said.
