The European Union should formally suspend Turkey’s long-stalled talks on membership if it adopts constitutional changes backed at a referendum last week, a member of the EU parliament responsible for dealings with Ankara said a Socialist MEP ahead of the European parliament plenary.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP), the Socialist from The Netherlands Kati Piri said ahead of a plenary debate on the matter that if President Tayyip Erdogan implemented his new charter, giving him even more powers, Turkey would close the door on membership.

“As Turkey with such a constitution cannot become a member of the EU, it also doesn’t make sense to continue the discussion on integration with the current government,” – Piri said.

The MEPs reaction followed after president Erdogan  Turkey expressed an opinion that Turkey would not wait forever to join the bloc, just a day after the EU executive’s top official for membership talks Johannes Hahn. asked Europe’s foreign ministers to consider other types of ties with Turkey when they meet on Friday.