DHAKA: Turkey’s EU affairs minister Egemen Bağış has said Turkey will probably never become a member of the European Union because of stiff opposition and ‘prejudiced’ attitudes from the bloc’s current members.

The Telegraph newspaper has reported, says Turkish daily Hurriyet.

Turkey’s status is likely to be similar to that of Norway, with access to the single market through free trade agreements but no membership, Bağış said.

‘In the long run I think Turkey will end up like Norway. We will be at European standards, very closely aligned but not as a member,’ he said.

This prediction would only change if European attitudes change toward his country, which would be the first Muslim nation to join the bloc, Bağış added.

Turkey is still the victim of ‘prejudice’ despite its modernizing and its growing economy, he added, citing the defeat of Istanbul’s Olympic bid as evidence.

BDST: 2045 HRS, SEPT 22, 2013
RoR/Jck