EU commission chief wants more effort from Turkey

The head of the European commission Jose Manuel Barroso has said that he will urge Turkey to accelerate reforms and show greater interest in EU membership during his first official visit to the country this week, reports the IHT.

Turkey’s accession talks began in 2005 but they have been delayed by slow progress in carrying out the necessary reforms, along with the impact of the unresolved Cyprus dispute and the reluctance of some EU member states, such as France and Austria.

Deutsche Welle reports that Barroso's speech reflects EU concerns over the attempts of Turkey's chief prosecutor to ban the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the moderate Islamist party of Prime Minister Erdogan.

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