ANKARA (CIHAN) - Turkish government has stepped up the efforts to legislate new Penal Code ahead of issuing of progress reports on Turkey by EU Commission to flatten out its EU membership bid.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been seeking to attain support of opposition Republican People Party (CHP) to pass the new Penal Code bill through the bill during the special session of the Turkish parliament.
Government spokesman and Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek on Monday visited CHP leader Deniz Baykal at parliament and asked his party's support to the penal code bill.
Opposition CHP principally supports Turkey's EU membership aspiration, however, has certain reservation on the new Penal Code.
CHP leader Baykal told the reporters at the reception that his party want a consensus on penal code bill.
The legislation of penal code is crucial step for Turkey in EU path as EU Commission sees the penal code as the last and most important criteria to meet for Turkey.
The ruling AKP has called an emergency meeting of the Turkish Parliament on September 14 for the passing of the new Penal Code at parliament prior to the October publication of the European Commission's regular progress report on Turkey which is expected to be determining on whether Turkey is given a date for the start of accession talks to the European Union.
The efforts to reach a consensus are likely to lock in stalemate on the article regard the adultery, as AKP wants to define adultery as crime while CHP opposes the proposal from AKP on defining adultery as crime.
The critical EU Commission Progress report on Turkey will be issued in October. The Turkish government is planning to clear Turkey's EU membership path by addressing any remaining deficiencies before the report is issued.
Turkey is hoping to open accession talks with the EU commission in December now that it has legislated numerous EU-inspired reforms in recent years, which have been praised by EU leaders.
Turkey has adopted a series of EU harmonization packages, including political and economic criteria, to meet membership requirements. The Turkish Parliament has adopted seven EU harmonization packages in the last two years and abolished capital punishment in order to comply with EU standards.
The EU leaders are due to meet in December to decide whether Turkey, a candidate country since 1999, has made enough progress on human rights and political freedoms for the initiation of the long-delayed accession talks with the EU.