Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Turkey could hold a public vote on whether to continue its negotiations to join the European Union, amid fraught relations between the two sides.
Erdogan was quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency as saying that after an April 16 referendum on expanding his presidential powers, Turkey could choose to hold another vote on EU accession, which he likened to Britain's decision to leave the bloc.
"Whatever our people decide, we will abide," Erdogan said in Antalya at a British-Turkish conference.
Earlier on Saturday, Erdogan said he accepted that reintroducing the death penalty could put an end to his country's bid to join the EU.
"They say ... if the death penalty returns, Turkey will not have a place in the EU - let it be so," he said.
Since a bloody coup attempt last year, Erdogan has increasingly promoted bringing back capital punishment for plotters.
"They say if a 'yes' vote comes out on April 16 they will not take us into the EU. Oh, if only they could take that decision. It will make our work easier," Erdogan said in Antalya. He referred to the referendum date as a "breaking point."
He repeated for third day in a row that he would continue to call European leaders "Nazis" and "fascists" as long as he was being dubbed a "dictator."
A war of words broke out two weeks ago between the Turkish leadership and several European countries over campaigning by Turkish politicians abroad for the referendum.
This week, Erdogan said he would look to review Turkey's political and administrative relationship with the EU. Turkey is a candidate country to join the bloc though its accession process is stuck.
In his latest campaign speeches, Erdogan insisted terrorist organizations are supporting the "no" campaign in the referendum next month.
Deniz Baykal, a former speaker of parliament from the center-left People's Republican Party (CHP), the main opposition bloc in parliament, was sharply critical of the president.
"I am saying 'no.' I defy those who will call me a 'terrorist'. We will not allow those who want to use a 'no' vote to frighten people," Baykal said in Ankara, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.
