EP calls on goverment to speed up reforms

Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Turkey rapporteur of the European Parliament, yesterday called on Turkey to speed up its reforms for European Union membership and to carry them out resolutely. "Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government made a commitment that 2008 would be a year of reforms," said a draft report by Oomen-Ruijten which was made public yesterday. "It is time to implement these commitments by using the (ruling party's) majority in Parliament to speed up reforms."