Turkey may turn its back on their 54-year attempts to join the EU after Brexit exposed the weakness of the disintegrating union, Gazeta writes, citing Express.

According to the newspaper, the EU has promised Turkey membership for decades, recently offering to fast-track the republic's application in a bid to convince President Erdoğan to keep three million migrants from travelling to Europe.

However, speaking on Newsnight, Erdoğan’s chief adviser, İlnur Çevik, claimed that they are having second thoughts about joining the bloc following Brexit.

 “We’re trying to get into the EU while you guys are trying to get out. The irony is we have been pushing and pushing and they haven’t accepted us. For the past 54 years we have been at the doorstep being treated like beggars and our people are very unhappy about that,” he noted.

It is also mentioned that these statements come as Turkey prepares to vote on constitutional amendments which would allow President Erdoğan to receive new powers as president.