ANKARA, Jan 17 (A.A) - Labour and Social Security Minister Yasar Okuyan said on Thursday that they wanted better dimensions in Turkish-Bulgarian relations, the current relations of which were on a good course, with the solution of small problems in the shortest time.
Okuyan received Bulgarian Turks Culture and Assistance Association Chairman Ibrahim Efendioglu and the accompanying delegation.
Efendioglu said that more than 350 thousand citizens came from Bulgaria to Turkey in 1989 and noted that the premiums related with social rights like health and retirement of these people accumulated in Bulgarian State Treasury.
Reminding that the two countries had reached an agreement to transfer those premiums to Turkey as foreign exchange, Efendioglu noted that Bulgaria was not willing to make a social security agreement with Turkey related with the repayment of those premiums.
Efendioglu said that this situation had negative impact on those people and expressed their hope that Bulgarian government would make that agreement in the possible shortest time.
If that agreement was not made, tens of thousands of citizens could file lawsuits against the Bulgarian state and apply to the International Court of Human Rights after internal law rules exhausted, Efendioglu added.
Okuyan, in his part, said that some positive developments were recorded in relations with Bulgaria regarding working life when compared with the past.
The issues related with the social rights of the Turkish kinsmen in Bulgaria had not been solved for almost two years, Okuyan said.
Okuyan noted that they had received around 20 thousand petitions and that they would present those petitions to the Bulgarian Embassy in Ankara.
However, Okuyan stated, they wanted to have better dimensions in Turkish-Bulgarian relations with the solution of small problems.
Okuyan pointed out that Bulgarian side could have some problems regarding that issue in their respect. But, he noted, he thought that it was the time to begin and conclude the talks on social security agreement.
The meetings between his ministry and Bulgarian Labour Ministry would resume between January 28 and February 1, Okuyan said.
Okuyan noted that 28 thousand 919 people had applied to get pension from Bulgaria so far and that 34 thousand 206 of those people received their pension in German marks.
A total of 4 thousand files were kept waiting, Okuyan said and added that applications of 1,204 people who had applied to get pension were returned.