Iranian volleyball player Maedeh Borhani warms up during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball players Maedeh Borhani (L) and Zeinab Giveh talk during an interview following a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Zeinab Giveh relaxes after a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Maedeh Borhani warms up during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Zeinab Giveh serves the ball during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball players Maedeh Borhani (C) and Zeinab Giveh (L) take part in a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Zeinab Giveh (C) celebrates a point with her teammates during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in the city of Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Zeinab Giveh (C) enters the pitch after a break during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball players Maedeh Borhani (L) and Zeinab Giveh talk during an interview following a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball player Zeinab Giveh relaxes after a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Iranian volleyball players Maedeh Borhani (R) and Zeinab Giveh chat during a training session of "Shumen" volleyball club in Shumen, Bulgaria January 14, 2017. Picture taken on January 14, 2017. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Bulgarian imams wait outside the 'Sherif Halil Pasha' mosque before the visit of Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (not pictured) in the city of Shumen, some 370km (230 miles) north-east of Sofia July 12, 2011. Gul and his wife Hayrunnisa are on a two-day official visit to Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA - Tags: POLITICS) 

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (C) and his wife Hayrunnisa greet well-wishers during their visit to the city of Shumen, some 370 km (230 miles) northeast of Sofia July 12, 2011. Gul is in on a two-day official visit to Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA - Tags: POLITICS) 

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (L) is embraced by a local resident during his visit to the city of Shumen, some 370 km (230 miles) northeast of Sofia July 12, 2011. Gul is on a two-day official visit to Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA - Tags: POLITICS) 

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (C) and his wife Hayrunnisa greet well-wishers during their visit to the city of Shumen, some 370 km (230 miles) northeast of Sofia July 12, 2011. Gul is in on a two-day official visit to Bulgaria. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA - Tags: POLITICS) 

A shepherd rides a donkey in front of his flock in a field near the village of Vetrino, some 350 km from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, October 26, 2007. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (Bulgaria) 

Amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km (217 miles) east of Sofia, September 23, 2007. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 563 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (Bulgaria) 

Amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km (217 miles) east of Sofia, September 23, 2007. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 563 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (BULGARIA) 

Amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km (217 miles) east of Sofia, September 23, 2007. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 563 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov(Bulgaria) 

International amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350 km (217 miles) east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 1, 2006. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 562 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov(Bulgaria) 

An amateur actor re-enacts a battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350 km (217 miles) east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 1, 2006. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 562 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov(Bulgaria) 

Amateur actors re-enact a battle near the town of Shumen, some 350 km (217 miles) east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 1, 2006. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle for Shumen fortress, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 562 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (Bulgaria) 

International amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350 km (217 miles) east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 1, 2006. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 562 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov(Bulgaria) 

International amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350 km (217 miles) east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 1, 2006. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 562 years ago. REUTERS/Nikolay Doychinov (Bulgaria) 

Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen. Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 3, 2004. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 560 years ago. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen. Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 3, 2004. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 560 years ago. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen. Bulgarian and Czech amateur actors re-enact a scene from the battle for the fortress near the town of Shumen, some 350km east from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, October 3, 2004. Bulgaria celebrates the anniversary of the battle, as part of the liberation struggle against the Ottoman Empire 560 years ago. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov 

German Armin Kremer drives his "Toyota Corolla WRC" during the 32nd Bulgarian Albena rally, a part of the European Championship at the summer resort of Albena, near the town of Shumen May 19, 2001. Kremer is the current leader of the rally, which ends later on Sunday.

DD/ 

Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov (C) speaks to the people in central Shumen, some 380 km northeast of Sofia, May 20. Stoyanov participated in a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the forced assimilaton campaign against Bulgarian ethnic Turks launched by the former communist regime. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Turks fled Bulgaria into neighbouring Turkey in 1989 refusing to change their Turkish names for Slav ones.

BK/GB 

Boictho Velichkov (L) from Spartak-Varna kicks the ball as Kiril Penev (R) from Shumen tries to block him during their Bulgarian National Cup soccer match in the Black Sea port of Varna on December 9.

OP/SB