BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (AFP) - The European Commission on Tuesday sought 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.
EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein also warned in a speech this week that the bloc could "implode" if the vast Muslim country joined the EU without major revamp of key Union policies.
The Commission, which is due to publish its recommendations next month on whether the EU should begin entry negotiations with Ankara, underlined 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 Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen, adding: "I choose to take that in the context of liberty and 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 Islamic 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.
Referring to Turkey as the "cradle of the Ottoman Empire," he said that the "entry of a country which has 68 million inhabitants -- and perhas 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."
And he said that Turkey's raised further questions. "If you allow Turkey, you will have to accept Ukraine and Belarus. These countries are after all more European than Turkey," he said.
Bolkestein's spokesman at the Commission, Jonathan Todd, denied that the Dutchman is against Turkey's EU entry.
"Nowhere does he say that we should not allow Turkey in. He says that in common with all other enlargements in the community it has to be well prepared."