Turkey should be blocked from joining the European Union unless it revises a much-criticised article of its penal code that makes it a crime to insult Turkish national identity, the European Commission recommended on Tuesday.

Under the proposal, the EU would refuse to open accession talks with Turkey on the crucial policy area covering the judiciary and human rights until Ankara changed Article 301 of its penal code, which nationalist prosecutors have used as a weapon against Turkish authors, scholars and journalists.