Bulgarian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Betina Zhoteva rejected reports that  Bulgaria had invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to celebrate the Day of Liberation from Ottoman oppression. The official representative labeled the rumors as “crude manipulation” and ” not consistent with reality.” Zhoteva’s comments came at a telephone interview with TASS agency.

“Among participants in official celebrations are heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Sofia. Rumors about inviting the Turkish president are a crude manipulation and not consistent with reality,” Zhoteva said.

As reported earlier, Bulgaria invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to celebrate the Day of Liberation from Ottoman oppression but did not invite Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier today that the Kremlin has not received an invitation from Bulgaria for Putin to attend the Day of Liberation of Bulgaria but respects this decision of a sovereign country.

Note, that the Day of Liberation in Bulgaria is a national holiday. Bulgaria got its independence after Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.  As a result of the war, Ottoman Empire was deprived of a large portion of its territory, and the Bulgarian state was established on March 3, 1878.