A protocol for joint training of military officers was signed on February 21 by Bulgaria's Defence Ministry and the General Staff of Turkey's armed forces. Mustafa Uzun, military attache at Turkey's embassy in Sofia signed the protocol on behalf of the Turkish side.

The protocol that would allow training exchange is the third document of its kind between the two countries. The first document was signed in 1992, a year after Bulgaria left the Warsaw Pact. Since 1992 a total of 70 Bulgarian officers have been trained in Turkish military academies, Velin Argatski, head of Personnel department at Defence Ministry, said.
 
Despite being neighbouring countries, Bulgaria and Turkey differ substantially in their most recent military history. Turkey has been member of NATO since 1952, when it joined together with Greece. Bulgaria, on the other side was a member of the Warsaw Pact since 1955. For the next 45 years the Bulgarian - Turkish border was one of the fronts of the Cold War. In 1991 Bulgaria left the Warsaw Pact and in 1997 applied for NATO membership, which it received in 2004. Since then the two countries are partners in series of joint military trainings mainly in the Black Sea.

The two countries' armies however differ substantially in the number of personnel too. While Turkey supports the second largest army in NATO, Bulgaria has an army of up to 45 000 troops. In 1998, the Bulgarian army had a complement of about 115 000 people, which was highly inefficient given the economic difficulties of the time.

The then government, together with the Defence Ministry, adopted what was known as Plan 2004, which provided for decreasing the number of soldiers to 45 000 by the end of 2004 and ending conscription by 2007. In Turkey compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from twenty to forty one years of age. With the duration of the basic military service varying from 15 months (privates) to six months (university graduates).