EU Commission welcomes Turkish penal code law

EU Commission welcomes Turkish penal code law

BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) – The EU’s executive Commission said on
Tuesday it welcomed Turkey’s adoption of a new penal code seen as
crucial to its bid to start accession talks with the 25-member bloc.

“We can of course only welcome the step taken on Sunday by the Turkish
National Assembly,” a Commission spokesman said of the legislation,
describing it as “central element of the democratisation and
modernisation process in Turkey.”

The spokesman repeated EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen’s
comment last week that such a move would allow him to make a “clear
recommendation” to EU leaders on opening entry talks in a report due
to be adopted by the Commission on Oct. 6.

The new penal code will bolster women’s rights and punish torture
more severely.

It was approved at an extraordinary session of the Turkish parliament
on Sunday after the Commission made clear the reforms were a condition
for granting Ankara a green light to start the entry negotiations.

09/28/04 06:53 ET
From: Baghdasarian