EU enlargement commissioner Güenter Verheugen said on 8 September 2004 that Türkiye faces a substantial reform agenda regardless of what EU leaders decide at a December summit on opening formal accession talks. Speaking in İzmir after meetings with local officials, civil society representatives, and business figures, he told reporters: "Much of the work is still in front of you."
A December EU summit would determine whether Türkiye had met the bloc's political entry criteria, with that verdict resting on a European Commission progress report due in October. Verheugen credited Ankara with meaningful legislative advances on democracy and human rights since Türkiye received official candidate status in 1999, but pointed to persistent gaps between new laws and their enforcement. The report, he said, would weigh the government's demonstrated commitment to reform rather than demand perfect compliance, and would be grounded in facts and reliable sources.
On membership terms, the commissioner was unambiguous: Türkiye would face no additional conditions and no stricter standard than other applicant countries. His broadly favorable remarks drove the Istanbul stock exchange to back-to-back record closes, finishing the day at 21,468 points. Verheugen's four-day tour had already taken him through Ankara and Diyarbakır before İzmir; Istanbul was the final leg, with his departure set for Thursday.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in September 2004, in its own words.