ABSTRACT
The Bulgarian authorities have expressed reservations about Turkey's growth as a regional economic and military power and the threat that this could pose to Bulgaria's security. While domestic and international disputes in central Europe revolve primarily around political, constitutional, and economic questions, in the Balkan region such problems have fueled serious inter-ethnic and inter-national enmities. The collapse of the Soviet bloc and the unravelling of domestic Communist control have contributed to releasing deeply rooted historical tensions and exposed numerous unresolved points of conflict over territories, minorities, and resources. The chief source of friction between Hungary and Romania has been the Transylvanian region west of the Carpathian mountains. Throughout most of the 19th century, Bucharest remained on reasonably cordial terms with Bulgaria, from where many exiles fled Turkish rule and took refuge in Romania. The Bulgarian state was weak and fragmented when the Turks overran the country at end of the 14th century and initiated nearly 500 years of Ottoman rule.
