Germanys chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Turkey on Sunday for a two-day official visit to discuss a wide range issues, including Turkeys EU bid, bilateral trade relations, and the conflict in Syria. Merkel first travelled on Sunday to the city of Kahramanmaras where German troops are stationed to operate Patriot missiles that were provided by Germany following Turkeys request to NATO. Merkel is scheduled to meet with PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul in Ankara today (Feb 25). A high level delegation of German businessmen is also accompanying Merkel. Meanwhile Merkel said in a regular weekly video message that she favoured opening talks in a new policy chapter to revive the stalled talks between Turkey and the EU. However, a long negotiating path lies ahead both for Turkey and the EU, Merkel added. Germanys chancellor also said that she was still sceptical about Turkeys EU membership. |
The jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, called for a ceasefire on Thursday, ordering armed PKK militants to withdraw from Turkey. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the city of ... more
The Syrian government said the rebel groups foreign supporters, Turkey and Qatar, were responsible for a chemical attack in Aleppo. The countries that back and support the rebels, including ... more
US secretary of state John Kerry was in Ankara on Friday for talks with the Turkish leaders, including PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, focused on the crisis in Syria, ... more