ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey yesterday harshly criticized Germany for refusing to extradite a suspected Turkish extremist leader, known as the “Caliph of Cologne,” on the grounds that he would not have a fair trial in his home country. “It is not possible to accept such a ruling,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It said the decision was based “on wrong, unjust, biased and unsuitable evaluations... regarding the independent Turkish judiciary.” The ruling said it was up to German authorities to evaluate “Germany’s obligations linked to the international fight against terrorism.”

ANKARA (AFP) - Three out of five Turks oppose sending troops to Iraq, according to a poll published yesterday in the English-language Turkish Daily News. The survey by Pollmark Research showed 59.3 percent of Turks were opposed to government plans for the dispatch of some 10,000 soldiers to Iraq as part of an international peacekeeping mission. According to the survey of 1,945 people, 70.4 percent also expressed dislike for the United States, while 66.1 percent said they looked favorably on the European Union.

Germany supports Romania’s bid to join the European Union, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said yesterday. The former communist country hopes to join in 2007. Fischer commented after meeting with President Ion Iliescu during his one-day visit at the invitation of Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana. He also met with Prime Minister Adrian Nastase. (AP)

Turkey’s prime minister toured a consumer electronics fair yesterday in Germany as he began a three-day visit expected to center on Ankara’s hopes of joining the European Union. Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the stalls of Turkish companies, including television maker Vestel and consumer appliance manufacturer Beko, at the annual IFA show ahead of a meeting today with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Police pushed back a group of around a dozen young protesters who tried to unroll a banner. In a weekend interview with German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Erdogan appealed to Berlin to take the lead in supporting Turkey’s EU bid. “We expect from our friends in Europe an attitude that encourages us along this road,” Erdogan said. (AP)