BRUSSELS, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Turkey's bid to join the European Union is losing steam as Ankara still has more work to do in terms of diplomatic and fundamental rights issues, the EU said.
The European Union issued a report on the accession process for Turkey, which became a formal candidate to join the EU in 1999.
Ankara in September passed a constitutional reform package meant to address concerns raised by the European Union in the accession process. The measures weaken the position of the military in the judicial system, increase civil oversight of the courts and lift immunity for leaders of a supposed coup.
Stefan Fule, the European commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, said Ankara was making slow but steady progress with its accession efforts but the "process is losing its momentum."
The constitutional reform was welcome but Ankara still had more work to do in terms of addressing fundamental rights, notably the right to free expression.
Meanwhile, it would help the process along if Turkey worked toward addressing long-standing issues with Cyprus, the EU said.
Cyprus has been divided into a Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-occupied north since 1974. Ankara doesn't recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member.
A Turkish envoy to the EU said Ankara wouldn't give up on the issue for the sake of accession nor would it abandon accession for the sake of Cyprus.
