BRUSSELS, Jan 19, SPA - Turkish Prime Minister TayyipErdogan said on Monday accession to the European Union was a toppriority and that he hoped his country would move closer to thatgoal in 2009, reported reuters. "Accession to the EU is a top priority for Turkey," saidErdogan at a news briefing. "I hope there will be a leap in 2009." Erdogan's trip, his first to Brussels in four years, comesas Ankara faces EU pressure to speed up reforms in a decisiveyear for its slow-moving accession process. Some existing EU members have questioned Turkey's commitmentto join the 27-nation bloc. The EU wants Ankara to reform its constitution, improve freespeech, grant more rights to minorities and curb the power ofthe army. Turkey has pledged many times that it is determined tocomplete talks, but Brussels wants deeds, not words. Erdogan said Turkey was working on many of the reforms askedfor by the EU, including laws governing trade union. "We don't ask for privileges, what we ask for is equal andfair treatment," he said, complaining that areas of talks(chapters) had been blocked for political reasons. Referring to scepticism among many Turks regarding EUaccesion, he said the government were working on convincingthem: "As the results of our efforts our people are going tocome to believe that this is important and they are going togive our support to us," he said. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/627484