Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and Ministry of Foreign Affairs have taken all necessary measures to solve the Bulgarian hauliers’ problems when crossing the border with Turkey. An urgent meeting between the Ministers of Transport of the two countries has been requested. Krasimir Tulechki – The Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in Ankara has taken all necessary steps for the organization of the meeting and a response from the Turkish side is expected.

The caretaker Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Kristian Krastev has sent representatives of Executive Agency “Automobile administration” to monitor the situation at the border checkpoints “Kapitan Andreevo” and “Lesovo”.

The Bulgarian hauliers’ problems were referred to the European Commission. An official letter concerning the interpretation of the rules of ECMT-CEMT has been sent to the International Transport Forum. There is an official confirmation from the ECMT secretariat according to which the Bulgarian hauliers abiding by the rules can not be referred to as offenders. The situation has been discussed with representatives of the Republic of Serbia who had had similar problems with the Republic of Turkey.  

The Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications got acquainted with the problems of the Bulgarian hauliers and supported their demands.

The problems at the Bulgarian-Turkish border began on May 9, when the Bulgarian hauliers blockaded the border checkpoint at Kapitan Andreevo because of unilaterally imposed strict measures for checking the Bulgarian trucks by the Turkish side. After the intervention of MTITC the blockade was temporarily lifted but the restrictions on the Bulgarian hauliers continued resulting in a new escalation of tension.