BRUSSELS (AFP) - Turkey has made significant reforms to prepare to one day join the European Union, but in many key areas they still fall short, according to an EU report revealed ahead of its publication next week.
The findings emerged as two new clouds appeared on the horizon for Turkey, as it crosses its fingers for a positive report from the European Commission on its bid to start EU membership talks.
The EU report, first published by France`s Le Monde newspaper and seen by AFP in Brussels, listed a series of areas where Turkey has shown "a substantial institutional convergence ... towards European standards."
These include the abolition of the death penalty, a crackdown on torture, a reduction in the role the powerful military in society and increased tolerance for the Kurdish population, it said.
"Following decades of sporadic progress and partly because of a political consolidation after the 2002 elections, there has been a substantial institutional convergence in Turkey towards European standards," it said.
But the Commission report revealed Friday also highlights shortcomings in Turkey`s EU preparations.
"Although torture is no longer systematic, numerous cases of torture and in particular ill-treatment still continue to occur and further efforts will be required to eradicate such practice," the report said.
Complaints of torture outside of official detention centres considerably increased in the first half of 2003, it said.
But Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel in an advance extract of its Saturday edition that his country did not carry out torture and human rights groups who claimed otherwise were "blinded by ideology."
Although the German newspaper had not seen the EU report before it interviewed Erdogan, he was asked about reports from human rights groups that torture still took place in Turkey.
"There is no torture in my country," Erdogan said. "In all these reports about torture, what is missing is proof."
Another two other clouds loomed Friday: firstly the EU confirmed it is boycotting a meeting in Istanbul next weekend because Turkey is insisting on calling the breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave a "state" at the gathering.
Turkey has been forced to cancel the talks between the EU and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Officials in Ankara were quick to dismiss fears that the spat would have an adverse impact on a December 17 verdict by EU leaders on whether to start accession talks with Turkey.
"The cancellation of the gathering has no bearing on the decision to be taken regarding Turkey -- there is no link whatsoever between the two issues," a senior Turkish government official said on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile French President Jacques Chirac said he favours changing France`s constitution in order to require a national referendum on Turkey`s EU bid. A clear majority of French people are opposed, according to recent polls.
Turkey has been seeking EU membership since 1963 but the bid has been controversial, with many existing EU member states questioning whether the largely Muslim nation of some 70 million could fit easily into the bloc.
The Commission, the EU`s executive arm, is widely expected to recommend in its report to be published on October 6 that the EU start membership negotiations with Turkey.
The leaked report does not include those all-important recommendations, which will form the basis for a final decision to be made by EU leaders at a mid-December summit.
Turkey`s EU hopes wobbled last week over plans to criminalize adultery, but were brought back on track when the Turkish parliament Sunday passed a reformed penal code demanded by the EU if it is to win a green light from Brussels.
EU enlargement commissioner said after those reforms were agreed that there were "no more obstacles on the table" to Turkey`s EU hopes.
Separately, an "impact study" to be published alongside next Wednesday`s report says that Turkey`s EU entry should be good news if well managed, although Ankara may have to wait until "well into the next decade" to join.
"Accession of Turkey to the Union would be challenging both for the EU and Turkey. If well managed, it would offer important opportunities for both," said the study, leaked on Thursday.
"The necessary preparations for accession will last well into the next decade. The EU will evolve over this period and Turkey should change even more radically," it said.