Brussels, 17/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission expressed annoyance and frustration on Friday by Turkey's prevaricating over the issue of adultery and warned it without beating about the bush of the risk that such an attitude would have an impact on the opening of accession talks. On Thursday evening, the Turkish government suspended the Parliament's debates on reform of the penal code, although only a few articles had still to be put to the vote and no amendment on adultery had finally been presented. The decision was taken under pressure from deputies of the governmental party, AKP, who insist that adultery should be a criminal offence, despite the agreement reached on Tuesday with the opposition party. (EUROPE of 15 September, p.11). The European Enlargement Commissioner's spokesperson denounced, on Friday, these "attempts to bring adultery back as a crime". Such a provision "will cast doubt on Turkey's reform effort and could complicate its European prospects", Jean-Christophe Filori warned. Reform of the penal code, which contains elements other than adultery, is above all intended to bring Turkey within European standards. This reform is "fundamental" and contains elements that are "directly linked to the Copenhagen criteria" and therefore to the "final evaluation" to be made by the European Commission on 6 October, he warned. The spokesman stated that assessment of respect of human rights would not stop with the opening of talks, if they are opened, but would continue throughout the process. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) published on Friday a press release in which it affirms that torture is still widespread in Turkey. The European Commission official on mission in Turkey to verify such allegations was to arrive back in Brussels on Friday evening. The foundation for human rights in Turkey, a partner of IRCT, treated some 924 cases of torture in 2003, and 965 in 2002, the latter states. IRCT considers "nothing has been done to prevent torture".
In Germany, the president of the Christian Democrat opposition (CDU), Angela Merkel, wrote to the Conservative prime ministers of the EU and to right-wing European Commissioners to suggest the creation of a "European alliance" opposed to Turkey's membership to the EU, but in favour of a "privileged partnership".