ANKARA: Turkey’s EU minister said on Thursday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s comments about halting the expansion of a customs union between Ankara and the European Union harmed the credibility of the bloc.
Merkel said on Wednesday there would be no expansion of the customs union and “no kind of deepening at all” in ties between Turkey and the European Union after a series of disputes linked to Turkey’s crackdown following last year’s failed coup attempt.
“This is an unfortunate statement. We should emphasize that no EU member should give orders to EU institutions or EU processes,” Omer Celik told a news conference in Ankara.
“These situations are very dangerous, they represent statements that harm the EU’s credibility.”
Celik said both Turkey and the European Union would gain from changes to the customs union. “But they are acting as if doing so is a favor to Turkey. Let me be very clear, we are in no rush,” he said.
The minister also called on Berlin to cooperate with Turkey’s request for the extradition of a theology lecturer suspected of playing a major role in the failed coup last year.
Turkish media have reported that Adil Oksuz has been spotted in Frankfurt and Ulm and given a temporary residency permit by Germany’s Baden-Wurttemberg state.
“No ally of ours can harbor a killer,” Celik said. “Even the possibility of someone with a clear tie to the coup attempt being harbored by our ally is saddening.”
Turkey criticizes Merkel, says Germany can not dictate EU policy
Turkey criticizes Merkel, says Germany can not dictate EU policy
A total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red on Tuesday across several continents
- The eclipses tend to follow each other, taking advantage of the sweet spot in the celestial bodies’ orbits
NEW YORK: A blood-red moon will soon grace the skies for a total lunar eclipse — and there won’t be another until late 2028.
The spectacle will be visible Tuesday morning from North America, Central America and the western part of South America. Australia and eastern Asia can catch it Tuesday night. Partial stages of the eclipse with small bites taken out of the moon can be seen from Central Asia and much of South America. Africa and Europe will be shut out.
Solar and lunar eclipses happen due to a precise alignment of the sun, moon and Earth. There are between four and seven a year, according to NASA.
The eclipses tend to follow each other, taking advantage of the sweet spot in the celestial bodies’ orbits. Tuesday’s total eclipse of the moon comes two weeks after a ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse that dazzled people and penguins in Antarctica.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth is between the sun and full moon, casting a shadow that covers the moon. The so-called blood moon looks red because of stray bits of sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere.
The show unfolds over several hours, with totality lasting about an hour.
Compared to a solar eclipse, “the lunar eclipse is a little more of a relaxed pace,” said Catherine Miller at Middlebury College’s Mittelman Observatory.
For those in the path, there’s no need for any special equipment to observe — just a clear, cloudless view of the sky.
Use a forecasting app or any online celestial calendar to look up the exact timing for your area. Venture outside a few times to see Earth’s shadow darken the moon, eventually revealing the reddish-orange orb.
“You don’t have to be out there the whole time to see the shadows moving,” said astronomer Bennett Maruca with the University of Delaware.
There’s a partial lunar eclipse on the docket for August, visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa and west Asia.
