EU distributes aid to Turkey to help with reform efforts BRUSSELS, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- European Union Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Stefan Fule said Friday a $317 million aid package to Turkey would help it with key reform efforts. "These past weeks have seen positive developments in EU-Turkey relations, and I hope this renewed support will help foster further reforms that will contribute to the progress in the accession process," he said in a statement. The European Commission said Friday the funding would help Turkey build an "independent, impartial and efficient" judicial system and strengthen the efficiency of law enforcement institutions. The latest phase of accession talks -- Chapter 22, dealing with regional policy -- began Nov 5. Fule told a women's conference in Istanbul in early November that Turkey is behind its European counterparts when it comes to the role of women in politics. He called for closing the gender gap, noting 1 percent of the Turkish municipalities have a female mayor. Nationwide protests in Turkey this year were described by the EU as a reaction to a democracy "relying exclusively on parliamentary majority, rather than a participative process in which all voices are heard."