BRUSSELS, Sept 7: The European Commission sought on Tuesday to play down comments by one of its own members apparently warning that to allow Turkey into the EU would undo Europe's repulsion of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century.
The comments came as debate heated up over Turkey's EU hopes, ahead of the release of the next report on Ankara's reform progress and a December summit when the EU has pledged to decide if Turkey can start entry talks.
EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein also warned in a speech this week that Europe is being "Islamified" and that the bloc could "implode" if vast Muslim Turkey joined the EU without major revamp of key Union policies.
The Commission, which is due to publish its recommendations on Oct 6 on whether the EU should give a green light for entry negotiations with Ankara, stressed that the Dutch commissioner was speaking in his personal capacity.
"Individuals including some of the members of the commission have expressed their own views as to the desirability of Turkey's accession," said a spokesman, adding that this was justified by "freedom of expression."
In a speech to a Dutch university Monday, Bolkestein - a member of the 30-member Commission due to stand down next month, compared the EU to the Austro-Hungarian Empire which famously repulsed the Ottoman advance in Vienna.
He notably cited an American expert, Bernard Lewis, as forecasting that by the end of the 21st century Europe will be mostly Islamic, due to migration flows and demographic trends.
"I don't know if it will go in this direction, but if he is right, the liberation of Vienna in 1683 would have been in vain," said Bolkestein. The debate over Turkey's hopes has been looming for years, but is now coming sharply into focus ahead of the Commission's long-awaited report.
EU member states appear divided, with some such as Britain energetically campaigning for Ankara while others are more cautious, in particular as some governments seek to sell a new EU constitution to often eurosceptic publics.
EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen said during a visit to Turkey this week that the "moment of truth" is approaching for Turkey. He has praised reform progress by Turkey, but adds that some hitches remain.
Bolkestein, referring to Turkey as the "cradle of the Ottoman Empire," said on Monday that the "entry of a country which has 68 million inhabitants - and perhaps 83 million in 2010 will hugely change the European Union.
"After Turkey's accession the EU will not easily be able to pursue the current farm and regional policy. Europe would implode." He also noted that the "original" population of Europe is getting older and shrinking," in sharp contrast to other parts of the world. "Current trends allow only one conclusion: the USA will remain the only superpower. China is becoming an economic giant. Europe is being islamicized," he said.
Meanwhile a new report by leading Europeans including former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and former French premier Michel Rocard urged the EU to start entry talks with Ankara without delay if it meets the standards.
"A failure of the Turkish accession process ... could result in a serious crisis of identity in Turkey, leading to political upheaval and instability at the Union's doorstep," the report said.
Turkish religious affairs minister Mehmet Aydin, visiting The Hague, defended Ankara's commitment to European values. "Turkey is not just another country," he said, adding: "The Ottoman empire was also a European empire." -AFP