The European army is not something that is going to happen any time soon, Federica Mogherini, the EU's chief diplomat, said Friday, September 2, The New York Times reports.

"Now is the time for real stuff," she told reporters.

“…What can happen very soon is member states are committed to advance in the field of European defense with very concrete measures."

European Union foreign ministers on Friday looked for a way to speak with one voice on relations with Turkey amid concerns over human rights that could sink a key deal with Ankara meant to keep refugees away from European shores.

Turkey is pushing for visa-free travel in the EU for its citizens and is threatening to walk away from the migrant deal if its demands aren't met. But Brussels says it will only allow that if Ankara rolls back a crackdown targeting wide segments of society in the wake of the mid-July abortive coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.