Encouraging EU report on Turkey

The European Union Commission — the top EU executive body — was scheduled to publish annual reports on November 5 on Turkey’s state of preparation for the EU, together with that of two other aspirants, Romania and Bulgaria.

"It was for me very important that Mr Gul explained how the Turkish government will guarantee the implementation of the (Turkish) reforms which have been decided," Verheugen said: "We agreed that implementation has the same importance."

Turkey has been pushing to start membership talks with the EU following its adoption of a series of democratization reforms. But allegations of human rights abuses have marred its bid.

Even though it has acknowledged Turkey’s progress, the EU has said that many of the reforms have remained on paper and urged Ankara to prove its determination to end rights violations.

EU leaders will meet in December 2004 to decide whether Turkey is ready to start accession talks.

Verheugen also expressed the hope that a Turkish appeal court ruling confirming jail sentences imposed on former members of a pro-Kurdish party would not affect Turkish political stability.

A Turkish court on Monday upheld prison terms of 23 months on each of four former leaders of the Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) for electoral fraud.

"We take note and we express hope that the court ruling will not affect the political stability in the country," Verheugen said.

DEHAP, which draws its support mainly from the Kurdish population of southeast Turkey, was founded in 1997 by former members of another pro-Kurdish party, HADEP, who feared being banned for alleged links with rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Turkey could become a full member of the European Union around 2010 if the mainly Muslim country wins a date to start accession talks with EU at the end of next year, Gul said earlier this month.