Chancellor Merkel's conservatives have agreed not to rule out Turkish membership in the EUOctober 15, 2009 - 20:18 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the Free Democrats (FDP) have agreed not to rule out Turkish membership in the European Union in their coalition agreement, sources from both camps said on Thursday. The compromise between the centre-right parties that won a parliamentary majority in last month's German election represents a defeat for Merkel's Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU), the staunchest opponents of the Turkish bid. The sources said the deal between the parties was likely to contain language similar to that included in Merkel's 2005 coalition agreement with the Social Democrats (SPD). In that document, the parties said: "If the EU is not in a position to take on new members or Turkey cannot fully meet all the criteria necessary for membership, Turkey must be bound closely to European structures in a way that allows its privileged relationship with the EU to develop further". The EU unanimously agreed to open official accession talks with Turkey in 2005, shortly before Merkel took office. Her conservative bloc opposes the bid and she has said repeatedly that Ankara should be offered a "privileged partnership" that stops short of full membership, Reuters reported. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |