4 March 2008 | By Elitsa Vucheva

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The EU on Monday urged Turkey to increase the pace of its human rights reforms, as well as to improve the situation of the country's Kurdish minority.

"Turkey needs to make speedy progress on reforms that enhance fundamental freedoms – and set up a clear and credible reform agenda for the months to come," EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said at a conference on Turkey organised in the European Parliament on Monday (3 March).

One fundamental freedom - that of expression - still remains an area in which "reforms are badly overdue," Mr Rehn stressed.

He cited article 301 of Turkey's penal code, which foresees up to four years in prison for "insulting Turkishness", saying it needs to be revised.

Brussels had already insisted on that point in November last year in a report assessing progress made by Turkey on its road to EU accession.

Today, "there are signs that the government is serious about meeting this challenge," commissioner Rehn indicated, but he added: "The proof of the pudding is in the eating: what matters are not only new provisions, but the implementation on the ground."

Meanwhile, he also highlighted the progress made in some areas – such as "the extensive review and amendments to the Civil and the Criminal Codes, as well as the abolition of the death penalty, the policy of zero tolerance on torture and the measures undertaken to strengthen the civilian oversight of the military".

Improving Turkish Kurds' situation
Mr Rehn also urged Ankara to promote cultural and minority rights with up to 15 million Kurds estimated to be living in the country, highlighting the importance of language teaching.

In addition, regional disparities should be addressed and reduced, as Turkey's South-East populated mainly by Kurds is particularly poor. "Economic, social and cultural opportunities for all Turkish citizens" should be enhanced.

All in all, while "the situation of the Turkish population of Kurdish origin has improved since the turn of the millennium," said the commissioner, "resolute government action is urgently needed to pursue change."

Other areas where Ankara needs to speed up reforms according to Brussels include judicial reform, the fight against corruption, social rights, women's and children's rights.

The constitutional reform underway in the country could bring significant improvements on a number of these points, Mr Rehn stressed, while stopping short of assessing a new draft constitution, which the commission has yet to see.

Turkey, which has been an EU candidate country since 1999, started accession talks with the bloc in October 2005. It has so far opened six out the 35 chapters needed in order for the accession negotiations to be closed.

The question of its eventual EU membership is dividing the 27 member states, with some, such as France and Germany, opposing full membership of the club.