The European Union on Monday pressed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step up political and economic reforms following his party's impressive victory in this weekend's general elections, according to dpa. "We welcome that Turkey held free and fair elections that took place peacefully in line with democratic standards," said EU enlargement chief Olli Rehn, who is leading EU negotiations on Turkey's bid to join the 27-nation bloc. Rehn said he now looked forward to the swift formation of a new government in Turkey but warned that Ankara still faced major political and economic challenges. "We expect that the new government will relaunch the legal and economic reforms with full determination and concrete results," said Rehn. The EU enlargement chief said Ankara must do more to ensure freedom of expression and religious freedoms, saying the two issues would come under scrutiny when the EU releases its annual review on Turkey in the autumn. But he insisted that it was the quality of Turkish reforms rather than their speed that was important. The focus must also be on reforms on the ground that enhance fundamental freedoms and the rule of law rather than a mere harmonization of EU and Turkish legislation, said Rehn. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters it was important that the government had received a convincing and strong mandate to continue its political and economic reform process. "Obviously this also includes a mandate for rapprochement towards Europe," he said. Echoing similar sentiments, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said it was significant the elections had clarified the position of Erdogan's Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP). "Erdogan said he would go on leading Turkey towards Europe. I hope that he also has the political will to do this now," Asselborn said. Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country opposes Turkish membership of the EU, told reporters Erdogan's victory was a "sign of the people's trust in their government." "I now see a strong backing for work on reforms and also on reforms towards European values," Plassnik said. The Austrian minister described Turkey as "a very close partner" and said the EU wanted to see a "modern, dynamic and successful Turkey, that lives according to European values." Turkey opened negotiations to join the EU in October 2005 but the talks were partially suspended last year after Ankara refused to normalise transport links with EU-member Cyprus, a country it does not recognize. Negotiations were opened again in two new areas last month but France refused to allow discussions on economic and monetary union, saying this implied that Ankara was on track to join the EU. New French President Nicolas Sarkozy is fiercely opposed to Turkish entry into the EU, suggesting instead that Ankara should should join a future "Mediterranean Union," an option that Turkey has rejected. The election result gives Erdogan's AKP a clear majority with some 340 seats in the 550-member parliament. Erdogan on Monday afternoon completed the formality of handing in the resignation of his cabinet to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and in remarks to reporters afterwards said the new government would "open a new page." "A stronger Turkey will emerge from this process," he said.
