The European Union accused the Turkish government on Tuesday of stifling public debate on planned constitutional reforms that have provoked strong domestic opposition.
The executive European Commission reiterated its support for Ankara's attempt to reorganise the judiciary, which the Turkish government says is vital for its bid to join the 27-country EU.
But the Commission said in response to a letter by representatives of Turkish civil society that there had been insufficient debate or consultation with the opposition on the reforms, which Turks will vote on in a referendum on Sunday.
"We regretted that this reform proposal was not preceded by a wide, inclusive consultation process across the political spectrum and society at large," Commission spokeswoman Angela Filote told a news briefing.
She said EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, who is in charge of handling Turkey's bid to join the EU, was "concerned by the way the pre-referendum campaign has been conducted".
"A key condition in any democracy is that people voice their views freely and vote the way they think it is best, without any fear of repercussion," Filote said.
The criticism referred, she said, to press reports that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan had warned a Turkish business group of risks of "elimination" because it did not express its support for the reforms.
Opinion polls show the outcome of the referendum is too close to call, with one predicting a narrow defeat for the reform package and another suggesting it will pass by a slim margin.
The Turkish opposition says the judicial reforms are an attempt to take control of courts and limit the military's strength. The Commission has broadly welcomed the reforms, saying the military's authority should be curbed, an ombudsman established and civil servants given more rights.
Turkey has made slow progress since opening EU accession talks five years ago, held back by resistance in countries such as France and Germany and by a failure to speed up democratic reforms and patch up relations with Cyprus.
Ankara has repeatedly expressed disappointment over the pace of its talks with the EU, saying the bloc needs to acknowledge and take advantage of Turkey's strategic position on key energy routes and its role as a negotiator in the Middle East.
