Turkey joining the EU is 'unthinkable', Nicolas Sarkozy tells Angela Merkel

'Europe needs leadership, Europe needs to take initiatives, Europe needs new ideas'

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke to reporters after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Germany

Nicolas Sarkozy has told Angela Merkel that Turkish membership in the EU is 'unthinkable'.

The former President of France met with the German Chancellor in Berlin on Tuesday.

He also told reporters: "Europe needs leadership, Europe needs to take initiatives, Europe needs new ideas."

David Cameron has said arguments made by the campaign to Leave the EU about Turkey joining the bloc were "simply not true".

When asked by an audience member in his last major TV appearance before the referendum if the UK would veto any attempt by Turkey to join the EU, the Prime Minister said it was the “biggest red herring in the whole of the referendum debate” and that “it’s not going to happen”.

He added: “I really feel strongly about this, as people are getting through their letterboxes leaflets from Leave saying ‘Turkey’s going to join the EU’ – not true, ‘there’s going to be a European army with Britain in it’ – not true, ‘we give 350 million pounds per week to Brussels’ – not true.”