ANKARA - Turkey's economic foundations and public administration are stronger than those of incoming EU members Bulgaria and Romania, even though its accession bid is lagging far behind, a World Bank official was quoted as saying Sunday.
"When compared to Bulgaria and Romania, which are preparing to join the EU next year, Turkey has a stronger economic infrastructure and administration capacity and a more efficient judicial system," Andrew Vorkink, the Bank's representative in Turkey, told Anatolia news agency in an interview.
If Turkey keeps up financial reforms, its economic growth will outgrow that of the European Union by three times in 10 years, Vorkink said.
Turkey has staged a spectacular economic recovery since a major financial turmoil in 2001 under a tight reform program sponsored by multi-billion-dollar loans from the International Monetary Fund.
The country's gross national product grew 7.6 percent in 2005, 9.9 percent in 2004 and 5.9 percent in 2003. The government expects the economy to grow by about six percent this year.
A string of political problems however have long marred Turkey's bid to join the EU, which it is unlikely to achieve before 2015 at the earliest.
Many in Europe are also wary over the country's sizeable population of some 70 million and have questioned whether its predominantly Muslim culture can co-habitate with Western values.
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, will issue on November 8 a crucial report on Turkey's progress towards membership.
Ankara is under fire for failing to ensure freedom of speech and grant trade priviliges to arch-foe Cyprus under a customs union accord with the EU, risking to see its accession talks being derailed only a year after they started in October 2005.
10/08/2006 12:34 GMT