‘Brussels hasn’t heard the wake up call’ Outrage as EU pushes forward with Turkey talks

THE EU has not learnt from the "wake up call" of a Brexit vote as Brussels has pushed forward with talks on Turkey's controversial membership bid.

The fresh discussions come after Turkey demanded an acceleration on its application in return for taking back migrants seeking asylum in Europe.

But members of Germany's conservative Christian Social Union party are appalled and have called for the negotiations to be halted immediately. 

CSU general secretary Andreas Scheuer said: "Apparently Brussels hasn't heard the wake up call.

"London is threatening to leave and Ankara is courting — this cannot be Europe's future."

Manfred Weber, parliamentary group leader of Germany's European People's Party, said the timing of the talks sent out the wrong signal and called for a new beginning to the relationship between Turkey and the EU. 

But Turkish officials are now arguing the EU needs their country more than ever after Britain voted to pull out.

Referring to the Brexit vote, Turkish EU minister Omer Celik said: "Turkey is a major European power. 

"Europe needs a fresh start and a fresh vision and will have to include Turkey.

"Whatever the picture will be after Brexit, Turkey's position will be stronger. Any picture that doesn't include Turkey will be a weak picture."

The UK had been Turkey's main backer, often in the face of deep opposition from France and Germany.

But after claims from Leave campaigners that Turkey was set to join the EU David Cameron said that would not happen until the year 3000.

The remarks left Ankara feeling "flabbergasted".

Yet another U-turn saw German Chancellor Angela Merkel reluctantly agree to back an acceleration in return for Turkey's help in stemming the flow of migrants after more than one million arrived in Germany last year.

But German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer warned Turkey's journey towards membership was long and complicated and said it was too early to predict the outcome of the talks.

He said: "Turkey's membership of the European Union is a long process which we are in the middle of; the process is not simple, on the contrary, it is highly complicated due to a range of reasons.

"It is far too early to predict what the result at the end of this difficult accession process will be." 

Major stumbling blocks include Turkey's refusal to recognise the Republic of Cyprus or Greece's demands for an end to Turkish control in the island's north. 

There are also questions over whether Turkey can match EU standards on corruption, data protection, Europol, judicial co-operation and terror legislation.