DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Oct 5 (AFP) - Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds expressed hope Tuesday that Turkey would get the green light from European leaders in December to begin membership talks with the European Union.
"We definitely want the decision in December to be positive. We are in favour of Turkey starting accession negotiations," Freivalds told reporters in Diyarbakir, the regional capital of Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, at the start of an official visit.
At a December 17 summit, EU leaders will assess whether Turkey has made enough progress in democracy and human rights reforms to begin membership talks with the bloc.
Their decision will be based on a much-awaited progress report the European Commission will issue on Wednesday.
Turkey, an official EU candidate since 1999, argues that it has earned the right for a firm date for accession negotiations through a series of reforms it has pushed through.
Freivalds is scheduled to meet local officials and women's rights organizations in Diyarbakir before leaving the region for talks with heads of Swedish businesses in Turkey and with community representatives in the Turkish capital.
She is expected to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Thursday before leaving the country.
During her visit, Freivalds will also announce the creation of a scholarship in memory of Swedish foreign minister Anna Lindh, stabbed to death in a Stockholm department store just over a year ago, for Turkish students wanting to go to Sweden to study human rights.