MUNICH, Germany, Sept 10 (AFP) - Turkey is unlikely to join the European Union before 2015, EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen said in an interview to be published here Saturday.
Asked if he thought that Turkey would be allowed join the bloc before that date, Verheugen told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung: "No. Neither I nor Turkey itself believes that."
But he told the daily that reforms already undertaken by Turkey were a sign that the predominantly Muslim country and key NATO member was capable of meeting EU membership criteria.
Earlier Friday, EU farm commissioner Franz Fischler became the latest Brussels critic to raise doubts over Turkey's hopes of joining the bloc.
"There remain doubts as to Turkey's long-term secular and democratic credentials," he wrote in a letter to fellow EU commissioners, who are set to decide next month whether or not to recommend the start of EU entry talks with Turkey.
Verheugen this week made a four-day visit to Turkey on a fact-finding trip before the European Commission reports in October on the country's progress in catching up with European norms.
He said that simply refusing to set a date for Turkey to begin accession talks would be "fatal" and could provoke "catastrophic" consequences such as an end to the reform process.