Turkey cannot become a member in the European Union (EU) as long as [President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is ruling the country, said German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.

In his words, however, this does not mean that the EU does not want Turkey to join it.

“But the Turkish government is rapidly moving in the opposite direction of Europe,” stressed the German FM. “It’s clear that Turkey will not become an EU member, at present.”