BAKU. TurkicWorld:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will discuss bilateral ties and cooperation during an official visit by the Bulgarian leader to Türkiye on Friday, reports TurkicWorld with the reference to Hurriyet Daily News.

During the talks in Istanbul, the two leaders will discuss various aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries as well as steps to enhance cooperation, a statement by Türkiye's Communications Directorate said on Thursday.

The leaders will also exchange views on current regional and global developments.

Türkiye is among Bulgaria's top five trade partners, representing an 8% share in the overall foreign trade of the country.

Tensions rose between the two countries when Bulgaria accused Türkiye recently of intervening in its internal affairs. The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the country's envoy to Ankara in November and denied the claims that Bulgarian voters were directed by Turkish authorities during the Nov. 14 presidential and parliamentary polls in Bulgaria.

One of the main elements in bilateral ties is the Turkish population in Bulgaria.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the population of the Turkish minority in Bulgaria stands at 588,318, representing 8.8% of the total population.