Bulgarian Gov't 'to Reschedule' Turkish-Language News

Valeri Simeonov, co-leader of the Patriotic Front, had threatened to withdraw the coalition's support from the government unless it agreed to reschedule the bulletin and to dismiss Orhan Ismailov as Deputy Minister of Defense. Photo by BGNES

The daily news bulletin delivered in Turkish by the Bulgarian National Television is to be rescheduled, an official from the governing coalition has said.

Nayden Zelenogorski, a lawmaker from the junior coalition partner Reformist Bloc (RB), told reporters the move had been agreed after talks with the Patriotic Front (PF), a nationalist coalition supporting the minority cabinet which recently threatened to withdraw its support over what it described as the "controversial" appointment of a deputy minister.

Zelenogorski is quoted by the daily 24 Chasa as saying rescheduling the news will not bring any harm to Bulgaria's Turkish-speaking minority.

The PF had insisted also insisted that the bulletin should not be aired by the public broadcaster's national channel BNT1, but by the regional program BNT2, a demand that Zelenogorski said the government was now ready to fulfill.

PF co-head Valeri Simeonov announced after the talks that his nationalist alliance would not insist anymore that Orhan Ismailov, whose candidacy was raised by a party described by the PF as "pro-Turkish", should step down as Deputy Defense Minister.

Simeonov added the PF would also be a seat of Deputy Defense Minister and one of Sofia Deputy District Governor.

GERB has not yet confirmed it will agree to move the broadcast to BNT2.

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