Brussels, 19/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - In a report published whereas the European Commission is in the process of putting the finishing touches to its 2002 reports on progress made by countries candidates for accession, Amnesty International notes that the systematic use of torture continues in Turkey despite reforms undertaken since the beginning of the year. The report refers to 60 cases of torture or ill-treatment, comprising electric shocks, hanging by the arms, beating the soles of the feet, spraying with cold pressurised water ad sexual abuse. The NGO says that most of these acts are committed in the first 24 hours of detention and that the number of methods that leave no visible marks has increased. It calls on the European Union to apply pressure on Turkey to put an end to incommunicado detention "which is an open invitation to torture". "The EU must thoroughly assess the practical impact of any legal reforms on the human rights situation in Turkey and in all candidate countries. Compliance on paper is not enough. When assessing progress on human rights, the criteria must be what is happening in practice, and, as far as torture is concerned, this report shows that in Turkey, the reforms are clearly not sufficient", declared Dick Oosting, Director of Amnesty International's EU office.