Merkel pledges to foil Turkey's bids to join EU customs union

BERLIN, Aug 29 (KUNA) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged on Tuesday to stand against Turkey's bids to join the European customs union "as long as status of the human rights" remain unchanged in that nation.
Merkel, speaking at a news conference in Berlin, said she would inform Chairman of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk in tomorrow about her government's stand on the issue.
The chancellor indicated that Ankara would have no chance to join the customs union "as long as human rights conditions" in that country remain the same.
Accepting Turkey as a member in the custom union warrants consent of all members of the EU.
Merkel's latest stance against Turkey coincided with detention of Germans in Turkey and Ankara accusing the German Government of hosting activists charged with complicity in the botched coup d'أ©tat last summer. (end) anj.rk