BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (AFP) - The European Commission on Tuesday welcomed the Turkish parliament's adoption of a far-reaching overhaul of the country's 78-year-old penal code, seen as clearing a major obstacle to Turkey's EU hopes.
"We can of course only welcome the steps taken on Sunday by the Turkish national assembly," said Jean-Christophe Filori, spokesman for EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen.
The comments were the first by Brussels since Turkish lawmakers endorsed the new penal code in an emergency debate called after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to drop a controversial plan to criminalize adultery.
That decision ended a week of crisis between the EU and Turkey, which is battling to win a green light from the European Commission in a report next week, and EU leaders in December, to start EU membership negotiations.
The Commission spokesman reiterated comments by Verheugen that the passage of the penal code reform and other assurances given by the Turkish premier last week "will allow (Verheugen) to make ... a clear recommendation" on whether the EU should start EU entry talks Ankara.