Turkish PM vows to step up reforms demanded by EU

(ROME) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday his country would relaunch its reform program as demanded by the European Union in assessing Ankara's progress toward possible membership.

"Turkey confirms its determination to take the necessary steps toward its integration in the EU," Erdogan said during a joint press conference in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

But while acknowledging a slowdown in reforms, Erdogan also said "there are points we don't share" with Tuesday's annual report by the EU on Turkey's progress toward membership.

Among other areas needing improvement, the report by the EU's executive branch cited freedom of expression, human rights, civilian control of the military, the fight against corruption and judicial reform.

Turkey began adhesion negotiations with Brussels in 2005, but progress has been halting.

So far, four of the 35 negotiating chapters which Ankara must successfully complete have been opened, and only one closed.

Separately, Erdogan expressed hope that a new intelligence-sharing agreement with the United States would "put an end" to the presence of Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

US President George W. Bush, who met with Erdogan in Washington Monday, promised to deliver "real-time" intelligence to Ankara on the movements of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey, the US and the European Union deem a terrorist group.

Turkey has not excluded launching an operation against PKK bases in northern Iraq after the separatists significantly stepped up their attacks.

Washington opposes such a scenario, fearing possible violence in what has been a relatively peaceful part of Iraq.