"If the relations between civilians and the military in Turkey do not take place in the way they are in EU countries, this points to a deficiency and a gap in democracy," Ambassador Hansjorg Kretschmer told reporters during a visit to the southern city of Antalya, according to the report.

The Turkish army influences political decisions through senior generals' membership in the National Security Council (MGK), the country's top policy-making body.

"The status of the military, the MGK... the freedom the armed forced have regarding their budget, the way they express their opinions and observations is something that we are not accustomed to in the European Union," Kretschmer was quoted as saying.

He stressed that the government of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) had an overwhelming parliamentary majority, and could easily pass the required reforms on the issue.

But any such reform could prove painful for the AKP government as it is already viewed with suspicion by the secularist establishment and by the army because of its Islamist roots.

The EU will assess Turkey's democratization progress in December 2004 before deciding whether to open accession talks with the predominantly Muslim country, the only candidate among the 13 hopefuls that is yet to start membership negotiations.

The government during the last week submitted a new draft of EU-oriented reforms to parliament aimed mainly at expanding the rights of the Kurdish minority and freedom of expression.

Officials have remained silent in the face of insistent inquiries by the press about when the government will gave the go-ahead to amendments that will bring the Turkish army in line with EU norms.

WAR.WIRE