"On the political level we need a rapprochement, we need to normalise the situation", Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told Reuters after the EU ministers' meeting with Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik.

Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the 28 ministers have "a common understanding. what are our expectations from Turkey and what Turkey expects from us". He did not rule out, however, that that could be done in the future and said Ankara was ready for talks on that with the Council of Europe, a European human rights body of which Turkey is a member.

Celik reiterated that the government would not roll back its expansive terror laws as long as it remained under a serious terror threat following the coup.

Yildirim said the anti-terror laws were a matter of Turkey's security as well as Europe's fight against terrorism.

Celik, speaking via translation, expressed Turkey's strong disappointment with the EU's initial reaction to the failed military coup in July.

The EU's Migration Commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, who is overseeing the Turkey-EU migration deal, was also in Ankara on Thursday and echoed Schulz's comments. "And if (there is) no liberalization, Turkey will not be very positive in setting up a new mechanism".

"We need to clarify among ourselves what it is we want from Turkey and with Turkey". Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, is greeted by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier during the Informal OSCE Foreign Minister's Meeting in Potsdam, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.

Rain stops play in second Twenty20 global between West Indies and India
In the case of Sunday's game, the toss had taken place after which the decision to delay the start of the match was taken. India were set a target of 144 and would have been confident of winning the match.

Asked whether concerns over human rights meant Brussels should suspend Turkey's European Union accession talks, which under the March accord should be sped up, Lajcak said: "I am personally not in favour of interrupting accession talks".

Austria has gone as far as to propose dropping European Union accession talks with Turkey over democratic deficiencies but, despite widespread reservations among European Union capitals on whether Ankara should or would ever join, Vienna seemed to be getting little support on this particular point.

There are "many reasons" to talk to Turkey, added Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, pointing also to Turkey's role as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally and its large military force.

"We should be very clear both in our support to the Turkish authorities against the attempted coup d'etat and on asking Turkish authorities to respect the rule of law and the fundamental human rights", said Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

But Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Raynders pulled no punches in his criticism of the crackdown on wide segments of Turkish society following July's abortive coup.

Any debate about introducing the death penalty in Turkey would spell "the end" of its hopes of joining the EU, Raynders added.