Most Greeks would choose to leave the European Union and join Turkey if they had a chance, a close aide of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

“If there were a referendum in Greece today, 51 percent of Greeks would vote to exit the EU and join Turkey,” Yigit Bulut said in a televised interview Wednesday, according to a report in Today's Zaman, an English-language newspaper published in Turkey.

Erdogan's appointment of Bulut, a columnist and TV commentator, as his chief economic adviser earlier this year stirred controversy in Turkey. Bulut, a former critic of Erdogan, recently claimed that the premier's enemies are seeking to kill him by telekinisis.

Turkey's EU membership bid has been virtually frozen for three years, held back by political obstacles and resistance in some European countries, including Germany, France and Austria.

Ankara's chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis said last month his country would probably never join the EU because of the attitudes of the bloc's existing members.