Putin Tells Erdogan He Is 'Fed Up with Bulgarians'

A handout picture provided by Turkish Presidential Press Office shows Putin (L) and Erdogan (R) chatting before a press conference in the new presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, 01 December 2014. Photo by EPA/BGNES

"I am fed up with Bulgarians. Having the West and the European Union and their back, they are challenging and opposing us," Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told his Turkish counterpart.

During the Turkey-Russia High-Level Cooperation Council meeting held in Ankara on Monday Putin explained to Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Bulgarian authorities creating difficulties was the main reason for Russia to abandon South Stream, diplomatic sources say, cited by H?rriyet Daily News.

On December 1 Putin announced in Ankara that Moscow was scrapping the South Stream gas pipeline project over the EU opposition resulting in Bulgaria's move to freeze construction on its soil. Gazprom later said the pipeline would reach Turkey instead.

The Russian President suggested Bulgaria should seek compensations from the EU Commission over the non-fulfillment of revenues of about EUR 400 M a year Sofia could earn as a transit country.

South Stream was designed to carry Russian gas to Europe, with Bulgaria being the EU member state where its pipes were to enter the union.

Brussels had declared the project incompatible with the EU's Third Energy Package, while Moscow had accused the Commission of actually not willing to carry it out.

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