(ANKARA) - The European Union said Monday it is planning to open new chapters in its membership talks with Turkey, but urged Ankara to pursue reforms and uphold democracy for its accession bid to succeed.

"We are expecting some good news by the end of this month. We are planning and working in order to open up to three chapters (out of the 35 policy negotiating areas) in June," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

He was speaking at a press conference after a meeting here between Turkish officials and the EU troika comprising Germany, Portugal -- the current and future holders of the EU presidency -- and the European Commission.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he hoped talks on the three chapters -- economic and monetary policy, statistics and financial control -- would start by June 26.

"This will be a good result, but let me emphasize this is not just a technical process ... What really matters is the pace and intensity of reforms on the ground," Rehn said.

He said the Turkish government and parliament to emerge from elections on July 22 should "create a renewed and reinforced momentum in the reform process in order to ensure fully fundamental rights."

He said there was still room for improvement on freedom of expression, religious freedom, women's rights, trade union rights and a penal code article making it a jailable offence to insult Turkish national identity and institutions.

The EU has on several occasions called on Turkey to either scrap or amend Article 301, which it says hinders freedom of expression.

The Turkish government was forced to bring elections forward from November after a political crisis over who should be the country's next president.

The government twice failed to get Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist and the sole candidate for the presidency, elected after the opposition boycotted parliament.

Gul withdrew from the race, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called early elections and launched a series of constitutional amendments to provide a popular vote to elect the head of state.

The crisis was marked by mass rallies against the prospect of having a former Islamist as president and a stiff army warning that it stood ready to defend the secular order.

EU officials on Monday reiterated calls for the army not to intervene in politics.

"I am sure that every institution in Turkey will fulfil their own responsibility. I hope there will no other alternative to the continuation of democratic reforms and progress by Turkey on the path towards the EU," Steinmeier said.

Rehn joked that he would not comment on the army's intervention in politics for fear of prosecution.

"I could comment and express my personal opinion ... but I refrain from doing so because Article 301 is still in force," the commissioner said.

The article also provides for jail sentences for insults against the armed forces.

Gul said Ankara is determined to pursue its goal of full EU membership and prove that it has a functioning democracy.

After a series of far-reaching reforms to catch up with European norms, Ankara launched accession talks in October 2005 amid strong popular opposition in Europe to the membership of this relatively large and poor Muslim majority country.

But its bid suffered a serious blow in December 2006 when the Union froze talks in eight of the 35 policy areas candidates are required to complete over Ankara's refusal to fully extend its customs union agreement with the bloc to EU-member Cyprus.

Under the freeze, chapters can be opened but not closed until the problem is resolved.

Ending a long hiatus in the talks, the EU last month began negotiations with Turkey on "enterprise and industry policy," only the second chapter Ankara has managed to open since "science and research" in June 2006.

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