The European Commission yesterday proposed doubling aid to Turkey over the next three years but said its EU candidacy would be jeopardised if it intervened in Iraq or used the crisis to stall political reforms.
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Mr Gunter Verheugen told a news conference Turkey must do more to eradicate torture, promote cultural rights for minorities - a code word for the Kurds - and enforce civilian control over the military.
"I would like to point out to Turkey that we see deficits in implementation at the moment, both in fighting torture and in implementing cultural rights, freedom of expression and also religious freedom," he said.
"It would be fatal if the Iraq situation were to lead to the reform process being suspended or even moving backwards.
"If there were to be some kind of invasion or crossing the border (into Iraq), this would have serious consequences on relations with the EU," he added.
The Commission listed strict political and economic terms that Turkey must meet by December 2004 to win a recommendation from the EU executive to open entry talks. Pre-accession assistance would be more than doubled to €1.05 billion in 2004-2006, reaching €500 million a year in 2006 if the 15 member-states agree. Among the political priorities listed is strong support for diplomatic efforts to reunite Cyprus, which is due to join the European Union next year. The United Nations blamed Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktash, and his backers in Ankara, for the collapse of peace efforts earlier this month.
The role of the politically powerful military in Turkey was completely out of line with the position of the armed forces in all EU member-states, Mr Verheugen said. In a phrase that may offend many Turks, he said that position must change "so that the government and parliament in Turkey control the military rather than the military controlling the government and parliament".
The Commission said Turkey should adopt a revised national programme to bring its legislation into line with EU standards.
This would involve measures to eradicate torture and improve legal and practical guarantees for prisoners, reform the justice system, expand media freedom and guarantee freedom of association, religion and peaceful assembly.
EU leaders promised last December to open accession talks if Turkey met the political and economic criteria applied to other candidate countries.
But Mr Verheugen, noting that Turkey, though larger, received far less money from Brussels than Central European candidate Poland, said he saw no reason to withhold EU aid.