Ending Turkey's EU membership talks and locking it out of the 28-member bloc is something that must be discussed among member states, Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela has said. 

Dr Abela said that regardless of the outcome of those discussions, Turkey would continue to be a key ally. 

"We should have excellent relations with our partners, so we definitely need to continue working with Turkey," Dr Abela told the media following an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Tallinn, Estonia. 

Ministers at the meeting agreed to back the UN security council in imposing further sanctions on North Korea following its latest nuclear tests, and pledged to introduce EU-led sanctions if needed. 

Estonian Foreign Minister Scen Mikser, Dr Abela and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini. Photo: MHAS

Interest in Turkey's stop-start bid to join the EU has been piqued in recent days, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her electoral rival Martin Schultz both pledged to slam the door shut on Turkey's EU membership bid. 

Turkey's bid to join the European community dates back more than 30 years, although EU accession talks only began in earnest in 2005. Progress has however been slow, and have effectively come to a complete halt following a dissident crackdown and constitutional referendum which strengthened president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's position. 

Dr Abela looks across to UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Photo: MHAS