On the occasion of a comment made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, mentioning Bulgaria’s Kardzhali as a "part of the spiritual frontiers" of Turkey, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that any country with rich and long history could claim that its spiritual and cultural borders went beyond the physical ones.

The Ministry added that if political rhetoric in individual countries opted for some reason to go back to the past, it could almost always outline borders that are different from the present ones. In reality, today's state borders have been agreed by international treaties recognized by all states and are not a subject to doubt or revision.

Bulgaria and Turkey, who enjoy excellent bilateral relations, are no exception to these treaties, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.