Turkey may hold a referendum on whether to continue EU accession talks after the April 16 referendum on the presidential system, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday evening.

Speaking at the sixth Turkish-British Tatlıdil Forum in southern Antalya province on Saturday, Erdoğan said that Turkey might hold a referendum on the issue as 54 years have passed since Turkey started relations with the EU's predecessor, the European Economic Community (EEC), in 1963 with the final goal of membership.

"We have a referendum on April 16. After that we may hold a Brexit-like referendum on the [EU] negotiations. No matter what our nation decides, we will obey it," Erdoğan said.

In June 2016, more than half of British voters voted in favor of ending the U.K.'s 46-year long EU membership.

Turkey applied for EEC membership in 1987 and accession talks began in 2005. However, negotiations hit a stalemate in 2007 because of Turkey's position on the Cyprus issue. Also, the German and French governments opposed the country's full EU membership.

Erdoğan touched upon the recent spat between Turkey, Germany and the Netherlands over ministerial campaigning for Turks living in Europe.

"It should be known that our patience, tested in the face of attitudes displayed by some European countries, has limits. We cannot tolerate 400 years of sacrifices: Our country, our nation, our diplomats and our ministers are being insulted every day for the sake of four seats [in the EU]. We expect European politicians to abandon their wrong attitudes immediately," Erdoğan said, while lashing out in response to Saturday's rally in Bern where PKK sympathizers displayed a banner that read "Kill Erdoğan" with a gun pointed to the Turkish president's head.

Erdoğan added that he told Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, that Turkey could hold a referendum similar to the U.K.'s Brexit in which Turks would decide whether to continue the EU accession process.

Turkey will continue to maintain economic relations with the EU but will review all political and administrative ties, including the migrant deal, after the upcoming referendum on April 16, Erdoğan said last week in an interview with broadcaster CNN Türk. The president criticized European countries for allowing events for those campaigning for a "no" vote, while banning Turkish officials from rallying "yes" supporters. Ankara has also blamed some European authorities for violating European values by banning Turkish officials from attending "yes" rallies, while critics add that there is a double standard being applied toward Turkey in general and "yes" voters, in particular. President Erdoğan also highlighted that Turkey has made great efforts to develop ties with the bloc and received nothing in return, noting: "The real cause of the problems the EU is facing right now is due to the attitudes of some EU member states."

In his speech, Erdoğan once again condemned Wednesday's terror attack near the Houses of Parliament in London that killed four people and injured some 40 others.



"This attack is the latest example of terror having no boundaries, no principles, no morals. It is very noteworthy that the parliament was targeted and it has similarites with the July 15 coup attempt, in which our parliament was bombed."

Erdoğan said that terror is bound to lose eventually, and Turkey clearly and openly stands by the U.K. in its fight against terror.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Alan Duncan are also attending the forum.