“With Turkey the EU will be a global power, much more strategically important, with a much more dynamic economy, with a strong hinterland with rich economic resources,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told BBC arriving in Brussels for NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.

Davutoglu underlined that he is optimistic about Turkey’s EU membership, adding “I believe in the rationality of the EU approach. I'm sure Turkey will be a member, a contributing member — not a burden, but a big asset for the EU.”

Foreign Minister recalls that all countries negotiating with EU eventually become its members except for Norway that did not wish to join the European Union. “Based on this statistical analysis, I can say, Turkey will be a member of the EU, 100%,” Turkish FM forecasted.

Commenting on the Swiss ban on minarets’ construction, Davutoglu called it an “alarm bell”. “There is a rise in Islamophobia, in the concept of ‘the other’, as if they do not belong to society. It may be today Muslims, tomorrow Jew, the next day blacks, the next Africans,” he told BBC.

“In this new global world we will be living together everywhere, so we need a new spirit of tolerance everywhere”, Ahmet Davutoglu concluded.