Turkish Parliament Passes Major Reform
Turkish lawmakers adopted a far-reaching penal code reform Sunday, September 26, 2004, clearing a major obstacle to the country’s bid to start accession talks with the European Union. The bill was adopted at the end of an emergency debate called by the government, just days before the European Commission issues a crucial report on Turkey’s democratization progress on October 6. The law is widely seen as the last legal reform set as a condition for the opening of membership talks.