EU report to criticize Turkey: draft

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A keenly awaited European Union report will criticize EU candidate Turkey in November on human rights, the role of the military and its failure to open its ports to Cyprus, a draft showed.

Despite the shortcomings, the annual progress report on November 7 will laud the mainly Muslim country for its handling of a constitutional crisis this year and for reforms leading to strong economic growth.

"Limited progress was achieved on political reforms in 2007. Further efforts are needed in particular on freedom of expression, on civil control of the military and on the rights of non-Muslim religious communities," said the draft European Commission report, seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Further progress is also needed on fighting corruption, judicial reform and rights of trade unions, women and children, said the draft, prepared by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

Turkey started EU entry talks in 2005 but is not expected to join the bloc before 2015, if at all. Some member states, such as France and Austria, are opposed to its membership.

The draft lacked a final recommendation on how EU countries should proceed in the talks with Turkey which will be formulated by the EU executive just before the report's publication.

Rehn said on Wednesday the talks were likely to advance into two more of 35 policy areas before the end of this year.

On November 7, the Commission will also issue progress reports for Western Balkan countries aiming to join the EU.

The Turkey draft was drawn up before attacks on the country launched by Kurds hiding across the border in Iraq.

ROLE OF MILITARY

The draft praised Turkey for resolving a stand-off this year between the moderately Muslim ruling party and the staunchly secular military which opposed Abdullah Gul becoming president.

"The outcome of the spring constitutional crisis reaffirms the primacy of the democratic process," the draft said.

But the military, behind several coups in the last 50 years, should stop trying to influence the democratic process, it said.

"The military has taken public positions on issues going beyond their remit, and the full civilian supervision of the military and parliamentary oversight of defense spending still need to be established," the paper said.

The draft criticized Turkey for not meeting a promise to open ports to vessels from Cyprus as part of a normalization of relations with the southern part of the divided island, which is an EU member. Turkey recognizes only the Turkish Cypriot self-declared republic in northern Cyprus.

Last year, the EU froze negotiations with Turkey on eight of 35 policy areas which need to be agreed before the country joined the EU, because Ankara had not moved on Cyprus.

The draft praised Turkey for bringing its laws on goods and services closer to EU standards, helping its economic growth.

But it saw insufficient progress in fighting corruption and said torture by security forces had fallen but not disappeared.

"Cases still occur, especially before detention starts. Turkey needs to investigate more thoroughly the allegation that there have been violations by the members of the security forces," the draft said.