Angela Merkel vows to end Turkey's membership talks with EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she would seek an end to Turkey’s membership talks with the European Union, amid escalating tensions between Berlin and Ankara.

Merkel made the comments on Sunday during a televised debate with Martin Schulz, her Social Democratic rival in elections later this month.

The fact is clear that Turkey should not become a member of the EU, Merkel said.

I don't see them ever joining and I had never believed that it would happen.

I’ll speak to my (EU) colleagues to see if we can reach a joint position on this so that we can end these accession talks, Merkel added.

The comments are likely to worsen already strained ties between the two NATO allies that have deepened since Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s crackdown on opponents in the aftermath of an attempted failed coup in July, 2016 and the arrest of two German citizens in the past week "for political reasons"  which infuriated Berlin.

The arrests brought the number of German political prisoners in Turkish custody to 12.

Merkel’s comments had come after Schulz appeared to surprise her by vowing to push for an end to the negotiations if he was elected chancellor in the Sept. 24 federal election.

If I become German chancellor, if the people of this country give me a mandate, then I will propose to the European Council that we end the membership talks with Turkey, Schulz said.

Whether we can win over all the countries for this I don’t know. But I will fight for this. he added.

Merkel had initially cautioned against such a move, saying it would be irresponsible to endanger ties with Turkey at a time when German citizens are imprisoned there.