February 28 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria is ready to deploy up to 1,000 troops at the border with Turkey in order to prevent a potential migrant inflow, defence minister Krasimir Karakachanov said on Friday - a day after Turkey said it will no longer stop Syrian irregular migrants from reaching Europe.
Turkey's reaction was prompted by an airstrike by Syrian government forces that killed 33 Turkish soldiers in Syria’s northwestern Idlib region on Thursday, Turkish news outlet Hurriyet Daily News reported.
The Bulgarian border police has prevented two immigrant groups of about 30 people each from entering Bulgaria from Turkey on Friday morning, Karakachanov said in a statement, adding that the army will take all necessary measures to protect the Bulgarian border.
Earlier on Friday, NATO condemned the indiscriminate airstrikes by the Syrian regime and its backer Russia in Idlib and called on them to stop their offensive, to respect international law and to back UN efforts for a peaceful solution, the Alliance said in a separate statement.
Ambassadors of all 29 NATO allies met on Friday, following a request by Turkey to hold consultations on the situation in Syria.