Brussels, 21/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn has sent a further warning to Turkey, stressing to Ankara that progress in the accession talks would depend not only on progress in the 35 different chapters (the first of which was provisionally closed on 12 June), but first and foremost on the pace of internal reform, hitherto deemed to be insufficient. “I am concerned that the reform process has lost its momentum,” Mr Rehn told the European Parliament foreign affairs committee on Tuesday. It was therefore important, he emphasised, that new initiatives were taken, such as the new package of reforms about to be adopted by the Turkish Parliament before the summer recess. The implementation of reforms already adopted would also have to be improved, particularly with regard to freedom of expression and the rights of religious minorities, as well as the protection of cultural rights in the South-East of the country. Mr Rehn said he was also worried by the apparent cases of interference of the military in the functioning of the judiciary. He considered, too, that some provisions in anti-terrorist legislation were too vaguely formulated, possibly opening the door to restrictions on freedom of expression. Finally, the Commissioner re-iterated that Ankara had to honour the agreement on the Customs Union and open its ports and airports to EU operators, including those from Cyprus: “If we want to avoid a major problem in the autumn, Turkey needs to stick to its word”. Mr Rehn also considered that the EU should do more to “demonstrate clearly its determination to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community” by allowing direct trade between this part of the island and the rest of the EU.