Türkiye and Bulgaria and Romania Defence Meeting: Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania held a meeting of their defence ministers and military chiefs in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The meeting brought together senior defence officials from all three countries to discuss matters related to their regional security.
Turkish National Defence Minister Yasar Guler attended the meeting with Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. The gathering took place as Black Sea countries face growing concerns over attacks on commercial ships and the safety of maritime travel.
Turkish Defence Minister and Military Chief Visit Sofia
Guler and Bayraktaroglu travelled to Bulgaria to take part in the meeting between the three countries. Their arrival marked the start of the official programme at the Boyana Government Residence in Sofia, where the talks were scheduled to take place.
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Chief of Defence Adm. Emil Eftimov welcomed the two Turkish officials at the residence, according to a statement from Türkiye’s National Defence Ministry.
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The meeting brought together political leaders responsible for defence as well as senior military officers. This allowed representatives from Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania to gather at the same place for discussions on security matters affecting the region.
Defence Ministers and Military Chiefs Pose for Group Photo
Before the meeting began, Guler joined the other officials for a group photograph. The participants included Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Romanian Defence Minister Stefan-Radu Oprea.
Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Selcuk Bayraktaroglu also joined the photograph alongside Bulgarian Chief of Defence Adm. Emil Eftimov and Romanian Chief of Defence Gen. Gheorghita Vlad.
After the photograph, the defence ministers and chiefs of general staff from the three countries moved on to the scheduled meeting. The Turkish Defence Ministry’s statement confirmed their participation but didn’t provide details of any decisions made during the talks.
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Black Sea Security Remains a Regional Concern
The meeting came at a time when countries around the Black Sea are paying greater attention to maritime security. The region is important for commercial shipping, and attacks on vessels have raised concerns about the safety of ships travelling through its waters.
Hürriyet Daily News reported on October 28 that more than 200 civilian and commercial vessels had come under attack in the Black Sea since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The report cited the Turkish Chamber of Shipping and said most of these incidents had occurred in 2026.
Bulgaria has also called for consultations with Türkiye and Romania to discuss ways to protect commercial shipping and maintain safe navigation. The three countries’ meeting in Sofia took place against this wider regional security background.
