Merkel regrets voicing personal opinion on Erdogan poemApril 23, 2016 - 10:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she regrets expressing her personal view that a TV comic's poem about Turkey's president was intentionally offensive, the Associated Press reports. Merkel said Friday, April 22 that she stood by her decision to grant Turkey's request to let prosecutors and courts decide whether German comedian Jan Boehmermann had insulted a foreign head of state. Under German law, the government has to agree before prosecutors can investigate in such cases. But Merkel said her view that the poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "intentionally offensive" had given some the opinion that she didn't value free speech. Critics have accused Merkel of kowtowing to Turkey because of the country's important role in stopping the influx of migrants to Europe. Merkel is scheduled to visit a refugee camp in Turkey on Saturday, AP says. 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 | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |