In a telephone interview with Reuters on July 30 2008, European Union commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn called on the Turkish government to step up with social and economic reforms to meet EU standards and atone for time wasted resulting from political instability over the past two years.

Rehn's appeal came after Turkey's constitutional court decided, on July 30, not to disband the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party, as requested by the country's chief prosecutor in March on accusations of being a focal point of anti-secular activities.

The court thus terminated a major case that brought about considerable tension in Turkey over the past few months. The AK evaded a ruling that, apart from its disbanding, could have seen 71 of its members, including prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and president Abdullah Gul, banned from political activity for five years.

The judges, however, decided to impose financial sanctions on the AK and defined their ruling as a serious warning towards the party.

"Despite everything, this is a good day for Turkey and for Europe," Rehn told Reuters. "A vast majority of Turkish people are in favour of European values. I'm sure this played a role, as stated by the president of the Turkish constitutional court," he added. "Now it's time to get back to normal and re-energise the reforms with a broad consensus and based on dialogue with all sections of Turkish society."

Turkey's accession to the EU has always been controversial topic among member states. Although entry talks officially started in 2005, some of the largest members of the bloc, such as France and Germany, remain firmly opposed. Moreover, the thorny Cyprus issue has proven an additional obstacle to negotiations.