EU cuts financial aid for Turkey

The European Parliament and the EU member states have agreed on the budget of the European Union for 2018. According to the provisional budget, the financial aid for Turkey will be reduced by EUR 105 million. Another EUR 70 million which had to be allotted to Turkey will be blocked and will only be released if that country makes progress on the rule of law. The decision was motivated with the fact that “the state of democracy, rule of law and human rights in Turkey was raising concerns”. Since the military coup attempt in July 2016 Turkey has suspended or dismissed over 140,000 servants and detained over 50,000 people, including opposition leaders, scientists, journalists, EU citizens etc. The EU has pledged EUR 4.45 billion in pre-accession spending for Turkey from 2014 to 2020, but only EUR 360 million has been allotted to that country so far.

Association of Serb Municipalities will be established in Kosovo

An Association of Serb Municipalities will be established in Kosovo, Deputy Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo Behgjet Pacolli announced. In Behgjet Pacolli’s words, the agreement signed in Brussels must be implemented by official Belgrade and the Kosovo authorities. With regard to the establishment of armed forces in Kosovo Minister Pacolli said that even the Serb List political group may vote for and “if it doesn’t happen today, it will happen tomorrow”, Minister Pacolli added.

Albanian Teachers in Macedonia insist on amendments to history textbooks

The Union of Albanian Teachers in Macedonia insisted on amendments to the textbook content and called for the establishment of a special commission for the purpose. According to the Albanian teachers, consultations with the civil society must be held. The new commission has to be established by February or March 2018. It has to define the new strategy and check the school curricula. After the signature of the good neighbor agreement between Macedonia and Bulgaria Macedonia’s Premier Zoran Zaev informed several times about the establishment of commissions charged with making changes to textbooks for Macedonian students.

Macedonian Orthodox Church wants to become autocephalous

The Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (The Ohrid Archbishopric) has asked officially the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to recognize it as autocephalous. The Macedonian Orthodox Church voiced hopes that the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would agree with its proposals “for the good of the universal church completeness”. The Macedonian Orthodox Church was founded at the end of the Second World War, but so far none of the Orthodox Churches have recognized it.

Bulgaria and Macedonia to sign 10 new agreements soon

The good neighbor agreement between Macedonia and Bulgaria will be ratified by the end of 2017, Macedonia’s Premier Zoran Zaev said. Meanwhile, on November 23 the cabinets of the two countries will discuss in the town of Strumica topics of mutual interest and sign 10 new agreements related to education, tourism, business, culture and other spheres, Premier Zaev added. Bulgaria’s help for Macedonia’s efforts to join the EU and NATO is of great importance, Zoran Zaev said. In relation with the historical issues between the two counties Premier Zaev commented that all disputes should be left to the historians.

Naim Süleymanoğlu buried as national hero

Thousands of friends, family members, politicians and public figures bid last farewell to the legendary athlete Naim Süleymanoğlu who passed away on Saturday at the age of 50. The Olympic Weightlifting Champion was laid down to rest at the Edirnecapi cemetery in Istanbul. Turkey’s Premier Binali Yildirim also attended the funeral. Naim Süleymanoğlu was born in Bulgaria. He competed under the Turkish flag since 1988. He won two world titles for Bulgaria and three Olympic titles, five world and two European titles for Turkey. He also won a bronze medal at the World Weightlifting Championships in Sofia in 2000.

Written by: Stoimen Pavlov