Turkey’s prime minister has warned of the “long queues” his country’s trucks face trying to cross into the European Union, under rules that could be forced on Britain after Brexit.

Interviewed by The Independent, Binali Yıldırım revealed that Turkey’s transport companies went to court because of the tailbacks and the big costs they had run up.

The problems arise despite Turkey being in the EU customs union, because – like Theresa May’s plan for Brexit – it does not have free movement of people and is outside the single market.

Brexit: Article 50 author says Theresa May is misleading the public on reversing result

“There are sometimes long lines, long queues – that is right,” Mr Yıldırım said.

And he added: “Unfortunately, certain practices of the customs union, certain advantages of the customs union, were not offered to Turkey for years. Turkey was disadvantaged.

“There is no free circulation of people – there is no free circulation of goods either. These are things that are important for Turkey.”

Mr Yıldırım blamed Bulgarian “practices” for the long border queues, but added: “Unfortunately, the EU is acting way too slow in this area.”

Kate Hoey on the Irish Border: 'We won’t be putting up the border, they’ll have to pay for it'

The comments come as the controversy over the future Irish border rages, with ministers facing down calls from the Irish Government to soften its Brexit stance.

Instead, the Government has insisted Britain will leave both the single market and the customs union – although it will seek identical arrangements in a two-year transition period, after March 2019.

Turkish lorry drivers have protested at queues of anything between 4 km and 17 km (10.5 miles) at Bulgarian checkpoints, forcing them to wait up to 30 hours to get through.

Each driver requires an export declaration, invoices for the products they are carrying, insurance certificates and a transport permit for each EU nation they will drive through.

The bureaucracy is the result of the EU, so far, only granting the right of lorries to move freely if there is also an agreement on the free movement of people.

Open-access road transport deals have been agreed with Norway and the other members of the European Economic Area (EEA), but Britain has insisted it will not join the group.

Instead, ending free movement is a “red line” for Ms May in the Brexit talks, with tough immigration restrictions planned for when any transition period ends.

Furthermore, say critics, the UK could be heading for a worse deal than Turkey, because it is seeking some sort of associate membership of the customs union – not full membership.

Prime Minister Theresa May with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at Downing Street (PA)

Ankara has given up its right to set its own external tariffs in trade deals, but Britain is thought unlikely to do the same.

Speaking to journalists in London, Mr Yildirim said Britain and Turkey had begun work on a post-Brexit free trade agreement, by setting up a working group.

Preparations would take place "in parallel" with the Brexit negotiations, he said, but acknowledged a deal could not be finalised until the UK had actually left the EU.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

Mr Yildirim dismissed suggestions that Turkey would be prevented from striking its own trade deal with the UK by its membership of the EU customs union.

“Once the UK moves out of the EU, the UK will belong to the same club as Turkey,” he said.