Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi met his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivan Demerdzhiev, in Sofia on Tuesday. The two ministers oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the law enforcement academies of the two countries and held a joint news conference.

Çiftçi underlined that the two countries need to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fight against criminal gangs, as they share a border. "We are not just neighbors. We are also two friends and allies in the same region,” he said at the news conference.

Çiftçi said he discussed areas of cooperation with Demerdzhiev. "One of the primary areas where there is room for greater cooperation is the fight against cross-border crime. Türkiye is currently engaged in a fight against next-generation criminal organizations. They have evolved into next-generation terrorist groups,” he said.

Türkiye has stepped up its crackdown on criminal gangs, particularly those exploiting minors and recruiting them to carry out murders and extortion.

Çiftçi underlined that Türkiye does not view its own security independently from that of its neighbors, stressing that cooperation with Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry is valuable for peace and security in the region.

Pointing to important steps taken with Bulgaria in the fight against next-generation criminal gangs, Çiftçi said: "They have extradited 89 people wanted by our country. Discussions on the extradition of 19 people are ongoing. I believe the necessary assistance and support will also be provided on this matter. On the other hand, as Türkiye, we have extradited 24 people wanted by the Bulgarian authorities.”

Çiftçi also emphasized the importance of combating drugs during Tuesday’s talks. "Cooperation between the two countries in the fight against drugs is extremely important. We value Bulgaria’s support in combating both new-generation crime and drug trafficking. We believe that the steps we take in these areas will serve the interests of both countries. This makes security cooperation between our countries not a matter of choice, but a necessity,” he said.

For his part, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev praised Türkiye’s efforts in the fight against irregular migration.

He said Çiftçi’s visit was a clear indication of the high level of good-neighborly relations between Bulgaria and Türkiye, noting that these relations are based on "partnership, mutual trust and mutual respect.” He added that he and Çiftçi had discussed numerous issues at both the political and professional levels.

Demerdzhiev said their shared priorities included combating irregular migration, drug trafficking and distribution, human trafficking and smuggling. He added that they also shared the view with Türkiye that crimes committed by young people were an issue that needed to be addressed.

The Bulgarian minister said they had reached an agreement on cooperation in these areas.

Emphasizing that he had informed Çiftçi that Bulgaria would "fight all forms of organized crime without compromise,” Demerdzhiev said they had also discussed the significant amount of capital held in Türkiye and other countries as a result of corrupt activities in Bulgaria. Demerdzhiev said Çiftçi had assured him that Türkiye would assist Bulgaria in combating such crimes, adding that the two sides had also agreed to identify and repatriate assets obtained through illegal means. Demerdzhiev also noted that they had discussed in detail the security and management of their shared border, saying they had identified a number of measures to make the process more efficient.