Europese lobby van prominente Duitse CDU'er tegen toetreding Turkije tot EU (en)

The leader of Germany's centre-right opposition party, Angela Merkel, has written to other centre-right leaders in the EU in a bid to block Turkey's full membership of the EU, offering instead a "privileged partnership".

Ms Merkel's letter was addressed to, amongst others, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende and Commission President-elect José Manuel Durao Barroso.

Copies were also sent to members of the centre-right European People's Patry (EPP) and to members of the European Commission.

Her party, the Christian Democrats (CDU) have long backed the concept of a "special relationship", she said and she hoped to encourage other Conservatives around Europe to support the idea.

But she said that Turkey "was following the path of a remarkable programme of reforms which we must support", according to AFP.

She also described the country as "a model of a secular, democratic state in the Islamic World".

The centre-left Government of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder strongly supports Turkey's entry to the EU.

The letter comes just weeks before the European Commission is due to publish its opinion on whether Turkey should start accession negotiations with the EU.

Member States will then take the final decision in December.