The European Parliament has called on European Union leaders to open membership talks with Turkey "without undue delay," and urged Ankara to carry out more democratic reforms and moves toward recognising Cyprus.
The Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, voted 407 to 262, with 29 abstentions, to pass the resolution, which is non-binding but nevertheless likely to influence leaders on the eve of a historic summit in Brussels on Turkey's membership application.
The resolution calls on leaders to "open the negotiations with Turkey without undue delay." The parliament urged Ankara to meet demands for a "zero-tolerance" approach to torture, which the legislature says is still being carried out by authorities in Turkey.
The resolution also said the opening of negotiations would "pre-suppose recognition by Turkey" of Cyprus, which joined the EU in May. The parliament also urged Turkey to acknowledge "the genocide perpetrated against the Armenians" nearly a century ago.
Turkey has been accused of killing as many as 1.5 million Armenians during a 1915-1923 campaign to force them from the east of the country. Ankara vehemently denies this.
The assembly rejected an amendment calling for the preparation of a "special partnership" with Turkey as an alternative for membership, a proposal pushed by French and German conservatives.
"Sixty per cent of Germans would prefer enhanced co-operation or a special partnership," said German conservative Mr Renate Sommer. "It will be impossible to absorb this huge country with all of its difficulties."
While many socialists, greens and liberals voted for Turkey's accession bid, the assembly's largest group, the conservative European People's Party was split.
AP