Turkey's main opposition party called today for the early reconvening of parliament to pass key penal code reforms before October 6th after saying failure to do so could wreck Ankara's hopes of opening EU entry talks.
"We will formally request that parliament hold an extraordinary meeting on September 28th to discuss the two remaining provisions of the draft penal code," Mr Deniz Baykal, leader of the centre-left Republican People's Party (CHP) said.
The government's decision last week to put its penal code reforms on hold has sparked warnings from the European Commission that this could negatively affect its October 6th progress report, which must say whether Ankara is ready for entry talks.
The move, prompted by a row over government efforts to outlaw adultery, has also rattled Turkish financial markets.
Parliament, which ended its summer recess early to pass the penal code reforms, is not now scheduled to meet until October 1st.
Mr Baykal's party has enough seats to force parliament to reconvene, but not enough for the debates on the penal code to resume. For that, it needs the agreement of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Turkish newspapers say the AKP, a centre-right grouping with Islamist roots, is split, with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan taking the side of more conservative members keen to ban adulter,y while more liberal deputies have urged a compromise.
The Commission's October 6th report, with its recommendation on Turkey's candidacy, will shape a final decision due in December by the 25 EU leaders on whether to launch accession talks with the large, Muslim country of 71 million people.