Bulgaria summons Turkish ambassador over Deputy PM Bozdağ's remarks

SOFIA – Anadolu Agency

Turkish Deputy PM Bekir Bozdağ said they were attempting to gain the property rights to an ancient Ottoman mosque in the province of Plovdiv so that they could renovate the house of worship and open it to prayer. DHA photo

Turkish Ambassador to Bulgaria İsmail Aramaz has been summoned to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in order to explain Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ’s recent remarks about Ankara’s intention to gain possession of a Plovdiv mosque and reopen it to prayers.

During a two-day visit to Bulgaria from Aug. 6 to 8, Bozdağ had said they were attempting to gain the property rights to an ancient Ottoman mosque in the province of Plovdiv so that they could renovate the house of worship and open it to prayer.

Some members of the Bulgarian press and nationalists interpreted the statement as evidence that Turkey wanted to take back Ottoman monuments, according to Anadolu Agency.

Bozdağ’s remarks about the situation of Ottoman monuments were exaggerated while Aramaz said Turkey was not seeking any property from Bulgaria, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement after Aramaz’s discussions with Bulgarian authorities.