BRUSSELS (CIHAN) - The European Union warned Turkey on Monday that the it would not open entry talks with Turkey a the reformed penal code was adopted.
European Commission spokesman Jean-Christophe Filori told a regular press conference in Brussels that negotiations cannot start if the new penal code is not adopted by the sixth of October.
The new penal code legislation became locked in a stalemate when the AKP decided to withdraw the new code back to the parliament justice committee. The new penal code will be discussed in October when parliament opens its new legislation term.
Filori said that legislation of penal code is part of the Copenhagen criteria. "If the penal code is not legislated, then the reforms are not complete."
The EU Commission is to present an assessment report on Turkey on Oct. 6 on whether Turkey has met the political and economic criteria which would enable the bloc to start accession talks with Ankara. The report will be the basis for the EU leaders' decision on whether to open the long-delayed accession talks with Turkey.
Relations between Turkey and the European Union have been chilly in recent days due to articles in the new Turkish penal code including a proposed criminalization of adultery. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen said on Sunday the legislation of the new penal code is an indispensable condition to opening accession talks with Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week rapped EU officials for meddling in Turkey's internal affairs.
Turkey has passed a series of EU-minded reforms in the last two years in order to meet the Copenhagen criteria with a view to opening long-delayed accession talks with the wealthy bloc.
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.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Brussels on Thursday and will meet Verheugen.