ANKARA, Sept 25 (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed confidence on Saturday that the European Union would give his country the green light for accession talks in December.
"I would like to state very openly, clearly that I am hopeful that a date for accession talks will be determined in December this year," Erdogan said in a monthly televised address to the nation.
"If this happens, a long and difficult road will open for Turkey, but we will head down it with enthusiasm. We are aware that we should work with sincerity, determination and patience throughout the negotiation process," he added.
Erdogan was speaking after fence-mending talks with EU officials in Brussels this week, in which he agreed to drop plans to criminalize adultery, ending a two-week crisis with the EU.
Enlargement Commissioner Guneter Verheugen said Erdogan`s assurances left "no more obstacles on the table" ahead of the release of a crucial report on Turkey`s democratization progress on October 6.
The report will serve as a basis for a December 17 decision by EU leaders on whether to start accession talks with Turkey, a vast Muslim nation with a relatively poor economy that has been a membership candidate since 1999.
As a result of the compromise in Brussels, the Turkish parliament will convene for a special session on Sunday to pass a major penal code reform demanded by the European Union, which Ankara had shelved last week amid the adultery row.