Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday, December 23 that the European Union won't accept his country as a member.

Keeping "brotherly" Turkey waiting for European Union membership is a "big injustice," Aliyev said, adding that some former Soviet Union countries became members of the EU while they were neither more developed nor more prepared to join the bloc.

"So why did they accept them but did not admit Turkey? The answer is obvious. Because Turkey is a Muslim country. Now they clearly say that," Hurriyet cited him as saying.

He stressed that in this case, the EU would not accept Azerbaijan as a member either.

Referring to Azerbaijan's relations with and integration into Europe, Aliyev said "I think we have taken steps to integrate into Europe. There is no need for new steps, and these steps will not yield results."

He reiterated that his country is a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe, adding this is a "form of European integration."