Travelers from Bulgaria will no longer need to carry a passport as they have been cleared to visit Turkey with their national ID cards, according to an announcement in the country’s Official Gazette on Wednesday.
Known as frequent visitors of Turkey’s Edirne, tourists and shoppers from Bulgaria have been flocking to the northwestern province just across the border and filling hotels.
Bulgarians head over the border almost daily to meet many of their needs and benefit from Turkey’s competitive prices and high-quality goods.
When visiting Turkey, Bulgarians previously enjoyed a visa exemption for touristic purposes and transit passes with a maximum residence period of 90 days out of a 180-day period.
Turkey and Bulgaria share friendly and neighborly relations as NATO allies.
The Turkish diaspora in Bulgaria also plays an important role in promoting political and economic relations between the two countries.
