EU NOT READY TO ACCEPT TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chairman of the Christian Social Union, Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiberg stated that in case the party wins the preschedule parliamentary elections this autumn the negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU will take a different course and instead of membership Turkey will be offered a privileged partnership, Yerkir Online reports with a reference to Die Zeit. According to Stoiberg, the party does not object Turkey's EU membership but considers that the country cannot be a full member of the EU. He also noted that with Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel's coming to power Germany's policy towards Turkey will differ from that pursued by Gerhard Schroder. To note, NTV Turkish channel reported that Mr. Stoiberg said the EU is not ready to accept a country with a great number of Muslim population however has nothing against Romania and Bulgaria.