The bill is expected to be voted in parliament before it goes into summer recess at the end of July.

Media reports said the reform plan had faced objections from the military, which carried out three coups in the past four decades and in 1997 forced the country's first Islamist-led government from power, even though the generals have not make any public statement on the issue.

Limiting the military's powers is a task of particular difficulty for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), a conservative movement already viewed with suspicion by the army because of its Islamist roots.

The draft, carried by Anatolia news agency, envisages mostly changes curbing the powers of the National Security Council (MGK), the country's top policy-making body through which the generals put their weight in politics, and the council's secretariat, which is dominated by the army.

The MGK brings together the president, the prime minister, top cabinet ministers and the country's five most high-ranking generals.

The planned amendments reduce the monthly meetings of the MGK to one meeting in two months and emphasize that MGK decisions are only of recommendatory nature to the government.

The MGK secretary-general, currently picked up by the army chief from among senior generals, would be nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the president. Civilians would also be allowed to take the post.

The powers of the MGK secretary-general would be limited to only secretarial duties, in contrast to his current tasks which include "monitoring" and "coordinating" the implementation of government decisions on security matters. The draft also enables parliament to scrutinize army expenditures, though it allows for secrecy in such procedures.

In another major change, the bill classifies the hearing of torture cases as an urgent matter and obliges courts to continue hearing such cases during the summer recess of the judiciary.

Other proposals aim to ease restrictions on non-governmental groups and broaden the freedom of expression.

The government is in a rush to catch up with EU democracy standards by December 2004 when EU leaders will evaluate its progress and decide whether to open membership negotiations with Turkey, the laggard among the 13 hopefuls.

WAR.WIRE