Turkey set for sweeping reforms

Europe is a top priority for Erdogan

By Jonny Dymond BBC Turkey correspondent

The leader of Turkey's largest political party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said that the government is planning a major revision of the constitution to bring it into line with European Union political norms.

Mr Erdogan said that the laws regulating the electoral system governing political parties and regulating freedom of expression would be changed.

Mr Erdogan has the flush of victory to carry him along and the deadline of the EU summit in Copenhagen in mid-December provides the government with a good reason for urgency

He spoke from Paris, which was part of his second tour of European capitals since his party swept to power just under a month ago.

Just as he promised, entry into the EU has been the top priority for Mr Erdogan and his administration.

He has hardly stopped from a whirlwind round of visits to EU capitals and leaders.

Fleshing out

After the cabinet met on Wednesday, it was announced that a new set of reforms would be drawn up to bring Turkey closer to the EU political criteria it must meet if it is to stand a chance of getting into the Union.

Now Mr Erdogan has put some flesh on the bones of that statement.

He is suggesting a thorough overhaul of the political system, designed by the military after it relinquished power in 1982:

• changes to the laws on political parties that keep political life tightly regulated by the state
• reforms to restrictions on free speech that led to Mr Erdogan and others being barred from standing for parliament.

It is not clear yet how far Mr Erdogan will try to go.

The powerful military, for instance, still play a role in Turkish political life that many in the EU find unacceptable.

Mr Erdogan has the flush of victory to carry him along and the deadline of the EU summit in Copenhagen in mid-December provides the government with a good reason for urgency.

But the political opposition is urging caution and there will be others in the Turkish political establishment who will be alarmed by actions that could be deemed too hasty and too far reaching.