The European Parliament on Thursday voted with an overwhelming majority in favour of a report saying that Turkey is not yet ready to start EU membership talks

The European Parliament on Thursday (1 April) voted with an overwhelming majority in favour of a report saying that Turkey is not yet ready to start EU membership talks. With 211 votes in favour and 84 against, MEPs said while Turkey has made many important reforms since last year in order to meet the political criteria for EU membership, it still needs to implement the reforms in many areas. The euro-deputies had a range of criticisms against the country - including the continued influence of the army in politics, the continuing torture practices and the discrimination of religious minorities. They also raised the question of whether the European Union can absorb such a large and relatively poor country. This year is a crucial year for Turkey meaning that reports like these count even more than usual.EU leaders decided in 2002 that on the basis of a report by the European Commission in October this year, member states will decide in December whether Ankara has achieved the political credentials for starting accession negotiations. Although the European Parliament's report is not legally binding, it will send a negative political signal to Ankara which lately has become much more optimistic about its chances of getting the go-ahead from member states this year. However, the country still has some strong backing from influential member states - particularly Germany and the UK. The key question is likely to be whether France will support Turkish membership. Admittance of the mainly Muslim country to the EU is set be one of the biggest political issues this year and is already on the way to becoming a big topic in some countries at the forthcoming European elections in June.