In brief
The Bulgarian presidential runoff concluded Monday with Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev winning 57.58% of the vote. Turkish media hailed the result as historic, noting potential shifts in European policy toward Russia and regional security in the Black Sea. Overseas polling finished without incident across 613 stations in 60 countries.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Monday that Iliana Iotova and Kiril Valchev won Bulgaria’s presidential runoff with 57.58% of the vote, after processing 99.95% of tally sheets, according to a BTA report. The vote also gave Andrey Gurov and Georgi Kandev 39.47%, with 2.95% of voters selecting “None of the above.”
BTA noted that Turkish media outlets described Iotova’s election as a historic milestone, calling her "the first woman to become president of a country following elections." The coverage also linked the result to possible shifts in Europe’s policy toward Russia and changing security priorities in the Black Sea region. OdaTV highlighted that the outcome could affect Turkey’s security in the Black Sea.
A BTA follow‑up reported that the overseas voting for Bulgarian citizens finished without incident. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that all 613 polling stations in 60 countries, from the United States and Canada to New Zealand and Australia, completed their work on schedule and transmitted ballots properly.
In a separate article, Daily Beirut reported that Iotova won the presidency with 57.4% of the vote, a figure close to the official results, and noted that she was the country’s first elected female head of state.
These developments mark Bulgaria’s first time electing a woman as president, a fact underscored by both domestic and international observers.
