The seventh meeting of the Interreg IPA Bulgaria–Türkiye Programme Strategy Board was held online. During the meeting, additional investments that will contribute to achieving the Programme’s 16-kilometre cycling path target, as well as a €5.2 million project aimed at combating forest fires, were discussed.

Activities under the Programme continue in line with the Regional Strategy, which was developed based on the needs of the region and with the participation of local stakeholders. Within this framework, €21.5 million has been allocated to 16 projects supporting efforts to make regions more liveable by enabling them to better utilise their own potential.A Strategy Board was established to ensure the implementation of the Regional Strategy, identify projects to be supported, and coordinate activities at the local level, in coordination with the Monitoring Committee, which is the Programme’s final decision-making body.

The seventh meeting of the Strategy Board was hosted by Bulgaria and held online. The meeting was opened by Georgi Dimitrov, Mayor of Karnobat Municipality and representative of the National Association of Municipalities in Bulgaria. Following his opening remarks, Dimitrov gave the floor to Güher Sinem Büyüknalçacı, Deputy Governor of Edirne. The meeting continued with opening speeches by Desislava Georgieva, Deputy Minister of the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, and Serdar Öztürk, Deputy Director General of the Directorate for European Union Affairs.

The first agenda item focused on possible additional steps to achieve the Programme’s target of establishing 16 kilometres of cycling paths. Under the projects implemented by Sredets Municipality, Svilengrad Community Cultural Centre and Elhovo Municipality in Bulgaria, and Kırklareli, Keşan, Vize and Kaynarca municipalities in Türkiye, a total of 10.66 kilometres of cycling infrastructure had previously been planned. During the meeting, it was decided to reallocate unused Programme funds to cycling path activities within existing projects. Through this decision, approximately 9.6 kilometres of additional cycling infrastructure will be developed by seven project partners. Thus, the Programme aims to reach its overall target of 16 kilometres of cycling paths.

The meeting also provided information on the strategic project entitled “Enhancing Disaster Prevention and Response Capacity in the Cross-border Region of Bulgaria and Türkiye”, which was prepared to address climate change adaptation and climate-related risks, particularly forest fires. The project aims to carry out joint activities for the prevention and management of climate-related disaster risks, including forest fires, floods and landslides, while also strengthening the institutional capacities of relevant authorities operating in the Programme area. The €5.2 million project, prepared through the partnership of relevant institutions from Türkiye and Bulgaria, started its implementation on 8 May 2026. The project beneficiaries on the Turkish side include the Istanbul Regional Forestry Directorate, the regional general directorates of the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). On the Bulgarian side, the beneficiaries are the Municipalities of Svilengrad, Topolovgrad, and Bolyarovo. The project’s main beneficiary is the General Directorate of Fire Safety and Civil Protection of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs.The lead beneficiary of the project is the General Directorate for Fire Safety and Civil Protection of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior.