The cabinet has allowed Turkish participation in the gas exploration in the Black Sea - at a time when relations with Ankara are dominated by the dispute over the “Botas”. While the contract is classified, the question of the political price remains.
The permission of the “Radev” cabinet to allow the Turkish state oil company to enter the exploration for gas and oil in the Bulgarian sector of the Black Sea has sparked criticism and accusations of “betrayal” and “trading with national interests”. Is the deal part of the price for the 15-month frozen agreement with “Botas“, the terms of which the government refuses to disclose?
Why did suspicions arise
We are talking about the 13-year deal between “Bulgargaz” and the Turkish state-owned company “Botas”, under which Bulgaria undertook to pay fixed fees of over $500,000 for access to the Turkish gas infrastructure, regardless of whether it uses the reserved capacity. After accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars in liabilities, the cabinet announced that it had agreed to a 15-month ”freeze” of the agreement, but refused to publish the terms. Officially, the two decisions are not related. But the lack of transparency regarding the “freeze”, agreed upon at Radev's meeting with Turkish President Erdogan, has raised suspicions.
The publicly known chronology does not prove such a causal relationship. However, it shows that the decision was prepared months earlier and was finalized by Rumen Radev's cabinet. On February 18, 2026, the partnership agreement between the British corporation Shell and Turkish Petroleum was signed in Istanbul. And Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said: “We have a 5-year license for Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone”. Even then, “Reuters” reported that the Turkish state company would receive 33% in the “Khan Tervel” block project.
The corporate deal has already been agreed upon, but without the approval of the Bulgarian state, it cannot enter into force. And Radev's government gave it on July 30. Political responsibility inevitably centered around Radev. His official cabinet signed the contract with “Botas”, and his government gave the final permission for Turkish Petroleum to enter the “Khan Tervel” block.
The chronology – and some considerations
At its meeting on July 30, the Council of Ministers authorized Shell Exploration and Production (96) B.V. to transfer 33% of its rights and obligations under the permit for oil and gas exploration and exploration in Block 1-26 “Khan Tervel” to the Turkish state-owned company Turkish Petroleum Overseas Company Limited.
After the deal, Shell remains with 42%, and the other partner OMV Petrom – with 25%. Block “Khan Tervel” is located near the Turkish field “Sakariya”, where gas is already being extracted. For Ankara, this means not only participation in future extraction, but also access to geological information about the Bulgarian waters. It is significant that the Minister of Energy is given a mandate within one month to sign an additional agreement. In addition, the Council of Ministers allows for the preliminary implementation of the decision, arguing that a delay would hinder studies important for Bulgaria's energy security. This eliminates the possibility of possible administrative procedures or appeals delaying the Turkish participant in the consortium.
A month earlier, on June 26, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Iva Petrova and her Turkish counterpart Minister Bayraktar held a meeting, after which the official statement stated that they had confirmed their will to quickly expand energy cooperation. Turkish Petroleum's participation in itself is not evidence of a political deal. But when several strategic decisions are accumulated in favor of the same country, society expects those in power to explain the reasons.
The assessments of the deal itself are also not unambiguous. The former Minister of Energy and one of the most recognizable experts of GERB Delyan Dobrev described it as “good news for Bulgaria”. His argument is that Turkish Petroleum already has successful experience with the discovery of the large gas field “Sakaria” and has its own drilling ship. “In addition, it can share with the consortium the “spit” with which it discovered the gas,” wrote on Facebook one of the biggest critics of the deal with “Botaş”. Since 2012, Bulgaria has been working with large international companies in the search for oil and natural gas in the Black Sea. So far, without success.
The price of secrecy
The protocol for the “freezing” of the agreement with “Botaş”, however, is just like the missing roadmap for “Turkish Stream” through Bulgaria. Rumen Radev's cabinet stubbornly hides it, just as Boyko Borisov's government guarded the roadmap. When it was leaked in correspondence of Russian politicians, it became clear that the pipe bypassing Ukraine was planned three years after the failure of the Russian gas pipeline “South Stream”. It would not be surprising if the Bulgarian-Turkish protocol appeared in someone's Russian emails. Doubts that there are Russian interests in the 13-year agreement with “Botaş” have not been dispelled.
The co-chairman of “Yes, Bulgaria” Ivaylo Mirchev explained that rather “the connection with “Botaş” is the extension of Strandzha-1, from where in 2027 Russian gas will be able to enter Europe, presented as a Turkish mix”. This point is part of the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline and connects the networks of Bulgaria and Turkey. Starting next year, companies importing gas to the EU through Bulgaria will have to prove that its origin is not Russian.
The cabinet chose to give the green light to expand Turkish state participation in a strategic energy project at a time when relations with Ankara are dominated by the dispute over the contract with “Botaş”. Bulgaria is gradually allowing Turkey as a dominant factor in key energy areas - gas transit, gas connections, and now offshore exploration in the Black Sea.
Ankara is building itself as an energy center in Southeast Europe. Bulgaria could benefit from this development if it participates as an equal partner with its own strategy. Otherwise, it remains a territory that is a convenient springboard for foreign interests. And as long as the protocol with “Botas” is classified, the question of the political price will not disappear.
This text expresses the opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and the State News Agency as a whole.