TURKEY scorned an offer yesterday of cash, visas and fast-tracked EU membership in return for halting the flow of refugees into Europe.

A summit of EU leaders in Brussels convened on Thursday debated into the small hours of yesterday morning, trying to agree a tempting deal for Nato and aspirant EU member Turkey.

The package could include up to €3 billion (£2.2bn) in aid to help Ankara with the cost of hosting two-and-a-half million refugees from the Syrian war.

Turkey has already spent €7bn (£5bn) dealing with the crisis and has received €1 billion (£750m) from the EU.

But in a speech yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the EU of being insincere about Turkey’s membership, though he did not directly refer to the offer.

“We are far ahead of most EU countries but unfortunately, they are not sincere,” he said.

He also took a swipe at those praising Germany for its generosity to refugees.

“They announce they’ll take in 30,000 to 40,000 refugees and then they are nominated for the Nobel (Peace Prize) for that,” he said.

“We are hosting two-and-a-half million refugees, but nobody cares.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the plan would mean that “on the one hand, Turkey enters into commitments with regard to the handling of refugees within its own country and, on the other hand, that we are ready to share the burden with Turkey.”

The offer also includes easier access to EU visas for Turkish citizens and faster negotiations towards membership of the economic union, a dubious prize long coveted by Ankara.

But French President Francois Hollande, whose country has long opposed Turkish membership, said that “if there is a liberalisation of visas with Turkey … it should be on extremely specific, controlled terms.”

Turkey has more refugees than any European country, with hundreds of thousands languishing in refugee camps.

Many more are left to fend for themselves, leading some to attempt the perilous journey to the EU, which has seen some 600,000 new arrivals this year.