by Hande Culpan
ANKARA, Sept 6 (AFP) - The moment of truth was approaching for Turkey`s bid to join the European Union, EU enlargement chief Guenter Verheugen said Monday, as European leaders prepare to decide whether to open membership talks with the mainly Muslim country.
"We agree that now the moment of truth is coming. I made it very clear: nothing can and must postpone the decision that is foreseen for December," Verheugen told reporters after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
At their December summit, EU leaders will assess Turkey`s progress towards embracing the EU`s political norms and decide whether to launch membership talks with Ankara.
Their decision will be based on a report, to be released by the European Commission in October, which will assess Turkey`s reform drive towards meeting the EU criteria and make a recommendation on whether to open accession negotiations.
Verheugen pledged that the commission would provide an objective analysis of Turkey`s drive to meet European standards and deliver a clear recommendation.
"We agree that there is now certainly sufficient critical mass on the table to allow us to make a final judgement ... and I can promise you that it will be fair and objective and honest and that it will take into account the impressive progress that was made in Turkey," he said.
"The critical message will be a clear and firm decision," the commissioner added.
Verheugen, however, underlined that there were sill some hitches, especially in the implementation of reforms, but nonetheless gave encouraging praise to Ankara`s efforts to clean up its poor human rights record, a key demand of the European Union.
"We will not hide the fact that there are difficulties in some areas and that of course implementation is not complete, but that`s normal," he said.
Asked about allegations of torture in Turkey, Verheugen said it was "very difficult" to say such a systematic practice existed in Turkey compared with the past.
"Obviously there is important progress," he added.
However, he warned that if the commission got the impression torture was present in Turkey, "it would have serious consequences".
Turkey, which has been an EU candidate since 1999, argues that a raft of reforms adopted since that year has enabled it to fulfill most of the political criteria needed to get the go-ahead for the start of accession talks.
"We believe that Turkey has come to the point which we describe as the critical threshold. We believe the commission will give an objective and honest report," Gul said.
He pledged his government would press ahead with reforms in order to fully embrace EU norms.
"There is an ongoing process. One does not say `we have come to the station, let us get off the bus`," the minister said.
Although EU leaders have praised Turkey`s progress, many Europeans remain opposed to the country`s ultimate accession because of its predominantly Muslim faith, sizeable population of some 70 million people and relatively poor economy.
Verheugen, who also met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is scheduled to travel to Diyarbakir, the regional capital of the country`s mainly Kurdish southeast, later Monday to meet local leaders and NGOs.
He will later travel to the western cith of Izmir and the country`s financial capital Istanbul for meetings with businessmen and civic groups before wrapping up his visit on Thursday.