Merkel: EU's Tusk to seek talks with Erdogan

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor said head of European Council would seek to meet with Turkish president at a NATO summit at the end of May.

European Council President Donald Tusk told he would seek, also with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the upcoming NATO summit, said Chancellor Angela Merkel in a press conference on Saturday.

Tusk would consult us about this subject beforehand, Merkel told the press conference after a Brexit meeting between EU countries, and said she welcomed this decision.

Also commenting on U.K.'s Brexit decision, Merkel said EU countries should now focus on the future shape of a 27-member EU.

Merkel stressed they had to asses relations with China, Turkey and U.S. considering their geostrategic positions, besides the Brexit decision.

The U.K. government last month officially began the process of leaving the EU, after 52 percent of British voters chose to leave the EU in a June 2016 referendum.