Bulgarian FM Has No Information on Turkey Banning Entry of DPS Founder, MP

The Bulgarian foreign ministry has no information on Turkey having imposed bans on two key figures of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) from entering the country.

This was announced by Deputy Foreign Minister Valentin Poryazov who appeared in parliament on Friday after one of the co-chairpersons of DPS had called for a hearing of Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov in order to clarify, confirm or deny the recent media reports.

Poryazov refrained from making any other comments except the fact that no Turkish institution had officially informed the ministry of such bans, daily Dnevnik informs.

On Thursday, Turkish media reported that Ankara has banned the entry of the honorary chairperson of DPS Ahmed Dogan and controversial MP and media mogul Delyan Peevski in the country.

According to Turkish media, the bans were imposed due to the anti-Turkish sentiments expressed by Dogan after the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkish fighter jets at the Turkish-Syrian border in November last year.

Following the incident, the then chairperson of DPS, Lyutvi Mestan, made a declaration on behalf of DPS in favour of Turkey.

At a new year's party in December, Dogan criticised Mestan over the declaration, which was followed by his dismissal as chairperson of DPS and exclusion from the party.

According to some Bulgarian media, the Turkish embassy in Sofia has confirmed that bans have been imposed.

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