ISTANBUL, Oct 3 (AFP) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Sunday he had confidence his country would get a favourable review from the European Commission when the latter issues a report next week on Ankara's efforts to join the European Union.
"I have seen a draft of the report. It has taken an X-ray of Turkey," Gul told reporters here.
"The report reflects all the realities of Turkey, all the reforms that have been passed and all the important steps that have been taken."
The commission report, scheduled to be officially released on October 6, is to assess the progress Turkey has made in embracing EU norms and make a recommendation on whether EU leaders should decide to open membership talks with Ankara at a December 17 summit.
Turkey claims that it has earned the right for a firm date thanks to a series of far-reaching democracy reforms it has adopted in the past few years.
"It is obvious that Turkey has fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria," a set of political criteria required for accession talks, Gul said.
"We are very confident of ourselves and the October 6 report will be a neat and good report," he added.
The commission report, already seen by AFP, says that Turkey has made significant reforms to prepare to one day join the EU, but that it still falls short in many key areas.