Turkey has 'much to do' before it can join EU But the Commission was more consensual towards possible Turkish membership than had been expected, with Mr Fule describing the country as a "strategic partner" for the EU and adding that its membership credentials remained "credible." I've a lot of voices saying we should disengage with Turkey but I take the opposite view. We have so many issues of mutual interest but the ball is in Turkey's court," he said. Ankara has provisionally completed just one of 35 chapters of accession talks. It has opened a dozen more policy areas but most of the rest are blocked due to disputes over the divided island of Cyprus or hostility from some EU members such as Germany. EU governments will consider the Commission's report at a meeting on October 22 when they will decide whether they will open the next 'chapter' of accession negotiations with Turkey on regional policy. In its report, the Commission also proposed that EU governments formally recognise Albania as a candidate for membership. On Serbia, which won a green light in June to start negotiations by next January, Mr Fule praised Belgrade's efforts to normalise relations with its former province Kosovo. However, the document was scathing of some other candidate countries, including Bosnia where Mr Fule said the accession process had ground to a "standstill." Helene Flautre, a French Green MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Turkey delegation, said: "The report paints a mixed picture of the situation in Turkey. While there is clear progress on issues such as the Kurdish question, minority rights and judicial reform, the Commission correctly highlights problems in the field of fundamental rights and freedom of the press as the weaknesses of Turkish democracy.