The European Union rebuked Turkey yesterday for its crackdown on anti-government protesters, postponing a new round of membership talks for at least four months, but said the path to the EU remained open.

The EU move, discussed in advance with Turkey, drew a mild response from Ankara and avoided a crisis in their relations.

The EU had planned to open a new chapter in talks with Turkey today, reviving its bid to join the bloc, which has been virtually frozen for three years.

But Germany, backed by Austria and the Netherlands, blocked the plan, saying it would send the wrong signal so soon after police cracked down on protesters in Turkish cities.

EU governments yesterday backed a German-inspired proposal, agreeing to open the chapter on regional policy but delaying the formal launch of talks until after an October 9 report by the European Commission on reforms and human rights in Turkey.

EU governments will meet again after the report comes out to set a date for talks in light of what it says about Turkey’s behaviour.

Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said the EU agreement gave Turkey “a probationary period for how it handles basic rights for citizens, how it handles the right to demonstrate and the right to free speech.”

“In my view this is absolutely necessary because we cannot have a double standard in the European Union. We have a community of European values and this assumes that citizens’ basic rights will be respected,” he said in Vienna.

Protests swept Turkish cities after police used teargas and water cannon to disperse a demonstration against redevelopment of an Istanbul square.

Two weeks of clashes with police have left four people dead and about 7,500 injured.