Davutoglu: Turkey will be EU member by 2023March 28, 2011 - 13:28 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey will become a member of the European Union (EU) by 2023 when the country celebrates its the 100th anniversary. "We will most definitely become a member of the EU by 2023," Davutoglu said when speaking at British think-tank Wilton Park conference on "Turkey's policies of engagement the contemporary world" in Istanbul. Davutoglu also said Turkey's EU ambition is not against Russia or the United States, instead, Turkey wants to maintain strong ties with the two countries. "We have model partnerships with the U.S. and Russia," he said, Xinhua 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 | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |