President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey may have a Brexit-style referendum on whether to continue European Union membership process or not after the April 16 constitutional referendum, Anadolu reported.
Speaking during the Turkish-British Tatlidil Forum in southern Antalya province, Erdogan said Turkey would likely review its ties with the bloc after its April 16 referendum on sweeping constitutional changes.
"You [Britain] have made a decision with Brexit, there may be different things after April 16."
"We have a referendum on April 16. After it, we may hold a Brexit-like referendum on the [EU] negotiations. No matter what our nation decides, we will obey it," Erdogan said.
In June 2016, more than half of British voters voted in favor of ending the U.K.’s 46-year long membership.
Turkey applied for membership of the EU in 1987; accession talks began in 2005.
However, negotiations hit a stalemate in 2007 because of Turkey’s position on the Cyprus issue. Also, the German and French governments opposed the country’s full EU membership.