Turkey's press bill under attack

Sezer has said the bill would undemocratic

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey's president has made a last ditch effort to stop a media bill becoming law which could damage the country's standing as a candidate for EU entry.

Turkey, which has applied for European Union membership, is set to pass a media law that critics say will limit press freedom.

President Ahmet Necdet Sezer attacked the bill as undemocratic and vetoed it in June.

He went a step further on Tuesday by asking the constitutional court to annul parts of the bill, his official Web site said.

Under threat of censure, critics say, is online news and a fledgling Internet industry which could see service providers forced to provide hard copies of pages to be posted online for approval.

Sezer also says it is "inevitable for monopolies to be formed in visual and audio media."

His protest said another clause that lifts a ban on media owners entering state tenders "could cause unfair competition as the power of the media is used and could cause some transaction manipulations on the stock exchange."

Turkey has been told by the EU that it must expand its civil liberties to meet the union's standards if it wants to become a fully-fledged member.

The law, which was passed last week and took effect on Tuesday, is likely to remain in limbo as the constitutional court could take months to rule.

Sezer, a former judge, has objected to many laws passed by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's government but without much success.

Shares in leading media group Dogan Holding fell off highs on news of the presidential objections and were trading flat at 2,075 lira early on Tuesday.

Supporters argue the law will increase transparency by removing the need for media owners to disguise the size of their holdings by using family members and allies as fronts.