The police checked 15 buses with Turkish registration that arrived in Veliko Tarnovo on election day. The vehicles occupied central buffer parking lots and spaces in front of the Tsarevets fortress, and dozens of passengers got off in the city. Photos and videos of their arrival have spread on social networks and have raised suspicions of an organized or controlled vote.
After the check, the police found that the buses were part of an organized tourist trip on the route between Bucharest and Istanbul. The stop in Veliko Tarnovo was intended as an intermediate rest and an opportunity to see the sights.
„Among the travelers there is not a single citizen with dual citizenship, Bulgarian passport or voting declaration.“According to information confirmed by the police, none of the tourists had the right to participate in the Bulgarian elections. The check was carried out after the appearance of the buses in the central part of the city caused alarming comments and assumptions about „election tourism“.
A police escort took the buses out of the center
In order to ensure public order, the buses were taken out of the center and Tsarevets fortress area with a police escort to specialized parking lots outside the city. The tourists were given the opportunity to stay in Veliko Tarnovo for a 4-hour walk, after which the group continued on the pre-planned route to Istanbul.
Sources: nova.bg