ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A referendum on accession to the European Union may suit Turkey, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, adding that he would discuss taking such a step with colleagues.

Erdogan has long been exasperated by Turkey’s slow-moving bid to join the union.

“It is 2018 and they are still keeping us waiting,” he said at a forum in Istanbul. “It is for us to go to 81 million people and see what decision the 81 million people give,” he said, referring to Turkey’s electorate.

Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan