EU's Rehn presses Turkey for faster reforms

HELSINKI, Sep 30 (Reuters) Turkey should speed up its reforms to avoid a collision with the European Union and the stalling of talks on eventual membership of the bloc, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

''Speeding up reforms is the best way to avoid a collision between the EU and Turkey, and cooling or halting the negotiations process,'' he told Finnish public television YLE yesterday.

Rehn, who will visit Ankara next Tuesday and Wednesday on the first anniversary of the start of entry talks, also encouraged Turkey to agree to open some ports to ships from Cyprus, as proposed by Finland, holder of the EU presidency.

Turkey's refusal to open its ports and airports to traffic from EU-member Cyprus, whose Greek Cypriot government it does not recognise, is still a major stumbling block in its EU accession process.

''Finland, supported by the Commission, has discussed this with different parties, both sides of Cyprus, and Turkey and other parties, and as far as I know the different sides are now pondering how they take this,'' Rehn said.

''My message to them is that they should in no way say ''No'' to this opportunity, as this is a very important chance to avoid a collision, a freezing of the negotiation process,'' Rehn said.

Turkey invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 to protect the Turkish Cypriot community after a coup in Nicosia backed by Greece's then ruling military junta. It maintains 35,000 soldiers on the divided island.

The EU's enlargement chief has repeatedly criticised the pace of Turkish reforms, especially on freedom of expression and religion, the rule of law and minority rights, but has also stressed the country's importance as a partner for the EU.

The Turkish parliament has been considering a reform package designed to meet some EU requirements and Rehn said he expected legal changes to be approved in October.

''The crucial issue is how, for example, the principle of freedom of speech and other civil liberties will be strengthened during the next few years,'' Rehn said.

''That will determine how well Turkey progresses towards the European Union.'' Last-minute legal reforms could help Turkey's case in the European Commission's progress report on its reforms due on November 8, but EU officials have said they will wait and see if the contents include real progress on key issues.

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