Fast Turkey's Accession to EU Unlikely, London Could Veto Deal

LONDON (Sputnik) — Turkey is unlikely to join the European Union in the foreseeable future, and the United Kingdom, which opposes the accession of countries with a weak economy to the bloc, could veto the move, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said Sunday.

"I don't frankly think Turkish accession is on the cards any time soon. We could, if we wanted to, veto it as other countries could," the chancellor told the BBC in an interview.

The United Kingdom has the right to veto the accession of Turkey to the 28-nation bloc, as London stands against accepting new members with weaker economies to the European Union and providing them with the right to visa-free entry, Osborne explained.

According to the UK chancellor, Britons should not be afraid of mass arrivals of Turks in the United Kingdom in case of Turkey's accession to the European Union, as London has a special status within the bloc.

However, Turkey is a crucial ally of the European Union, and relations with Ankara are very important for both Brussels and London, Osborne said.

Earlier in March, Ankara and Brussels agreed to fast-track negotiations on Turkey's accession to the European Union in exchange for a new migration plan, which stipulates that Ankara takes back undocumented migrants who arrived in the bloc and sends Syrian refugees to the European Union in return.