Turkey Says Determined To Pursue EU Membership

`Membership of the EU is a strategic aim of our country.` Turkey`s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

European Union candidate Turkey said on Wednesday it was determined to pursue its bid to join the 27-member bloc after the European Commission urged Ankara in a progress report to speed up reforms.

"Membership of the EU is a strategic aim of our country. We are fully determined to implement the political and economic criteria that will allow our people to attain the highest standards in all fields," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Turkey, a large and predominantly Muslim country, started EU entry talks in 2005, but reforms have stalled since then, partly over its refusal to normalise relations with EU member Cyprus.

The EU executive said in an annual enlargement report on Wednesday that Turkey needed to step up work on issues such as human rights, judicial reform, on civilian oversight of the powerful military and drafting a new constitution.

During a trip to Rome, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Ankara thought some of the criticism was unfair.

EU aspirants must undergo wide-ranging political, economic, social and regulatory reforms to adopt EU laws and be on par with other members.