Angela Merkel: Turkey will 'never' become EU member

German chancellor Angela Merkel has promised that Turkey will never become a member of the European Union, during a debate ahead of elections in the country.

Negotiations for Turkey’s accession into the EU have been halted due to ongoing conflict in the country, and concerns over human rights abuses and the rule of law.

Merkel spoke about the issue in a televised debate, where she was joined by rival Martin Schulz, who is aiming to replace her as Chancellor in the upcoming elections.

“The fact is clear that Turkey should not become a member of the EU,” Merkel said.

“Apart from this, I'll speak to my colleagues to see if we can reach a joint position on this so that we can end these accession talks,” she added.

The Turkish government responded to Merkel’s comments on Sunday by accusing her and Schulz of using Ankara as a distraction from more pressing problems in Germany.

Merkel was widely considered to have been the winner of the first television debate, and her CDU party has maintained its significant lead over Schulz’s SPD.