MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Turkey will never enter the European Union unless its president gets more serious about living up to European values, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned Thursday.
"It’s not that we don’t want them but that the Turkish government under Erdogan is moving fast away from everything that Europe represents… It’s absolutely clear that Turkey will not enter the EU in its current state," he said in an interview with the German tabloid Bild.
The German foreign policy chief added however he would "never in my life" suggest that the NATO military bloc strip Turkey of its membership as it remains a key partner that should not be alienated or pushed into Russia’s arms.
Gabriel’s words have marked a rise in tension after senior officials in both countries have traded increasingly hostile remarks in recent months. Erdogan has repeatedly compared the German government to Nazis and has recently called German ruling parties "enemies of Turkey," prompting a backlash from Berlin.
