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More work needed from Ankara, EU says

BRUSSELS, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- A constitutional reform package passed recently in Turkey is a welcome step but human rights and political issues may hurt accession, European lawmakers said.

The majority of Turkish voters in a September measure voted in favor of a package of 26 constitutional changes. The ruling Justice and Development Party had pushed the measures to reform a constitution drafted after a military coup in the 1980s.

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Members of a human rights committee at the European Parliament met with members of the public sector and Turkish representatives ahead of a Nov. 9 review of Turkey's efforts to join the European Union.

Helene Flautre, the chairwoman of a European delegation to Turkey, said the support for the measure in Turkey was welcome but the issue shouldn't be seen as a definitive solution.

The European Commission issued a statement saying "the situation has changed for the better in the last 12 years but there continue to be systematic failures to comply with human rights and the political criteria for accession."

The measures passed last month in Turkey 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.

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