The EU's Enlargement Commissioner has told Turkey it is close to its goal of starting negotiations to join the Union, despite shortcomings in implementing political reforms.
Mr Günther Verheugen said during a visit to Ankara that Turkey's reforms had come a long way under Mr Tayyip Erdogan's government and signalled that the Commission's report next month on Turkey's readiness to start talks would be positive.
"I promise you it will be fair and objective and honest and will take into due account the impressive progress made by Turkey. We will not hide the fact that there are difficulties in some areas . . . Implementation is not complete but that is normal."
An independent report by a high-level panel yesterday called for an early start to negotiations, if Ankara fulfilled the conditions for EU membership. The panel said fears of a massive migration from Turkey following EU membership were exaggerated.
"Based on the experience of previous enlargement rounds, migration flows from Turkey are expected to be relatively modest, at a time when declining and ageing populations may be leading to a serious shortage of labour in many European countries," the report said.
Mr Verheugen said the EU had a "zero tolerance" policy towards torture, but suggested that EU membership offered Turkey's Kurds the best chance of achieving political and cultural rights.
The Internal Market Commissioner, Mr Frits Bolkestein, warned yesterday that Turkish membership could cause the EU to "implode".