In addition to visa-free travel, the pact includes billions of euros in aid and accelerated EU membership talks. "We have to face reality: the membership negotiations are currently no more than fiction," Kern told Austrian media. Kern told public broadcaster ORF that he wants to initiate a debate at a European Council summit on September 16. The chancellor said Turkey's economy also remained far below the EU average and well short of membership requirements. Facebook/Christian KernThe Local/AFP · 4 Aug 2016, 09:07Published: 04 Aug 2016 09:07 GMT+02:00Austria's Chancellor Christian Kern on Wednesday called on the European Union to end membership talks with Turkey in the wake of a massive government crackdown following a failed coup.

Source: The Local August 03, 2016 22:30 UTC