Germany proposed on Monday postponing a new round of European Union membership talks with Turkey by about four months to signal EU displeasure at Ankara's handling of anti-government protests.

The EU had planned to revive Turkey's EU ambitions on Wednesday by opening a new chapter, or policy area, in its EU membership talks - the first opened since 2010.

But Germany, supported by several other EU states, is blocking the plan over Turkey's handling of anti-government protests that swept its cities after police used teargas and water cannon to disperse a demonstration against redevelopment of an Istanbul square.

Two weeks of clashes with police have left four people dead, including a policeman, and some 7,500 injured.

A delay in opening the new chapter would raise new doubts about whether Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country of 76 million people, will ever be admitted to the European club.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Berlin had given the compromise proposal to Ireland, current holder of the EU presidency, which would discuss it with other EU states.

"We cannot say today if this proposal will fly. We are doing our best to come to a good solution," he told reporters at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg.

Westerwelle declined to give details of the proposal, but a German diplomat said it was for the EU to agree now to open the new chapter but to delay holding a meeting with Turkey to launch it until later this year.

The official launch would be after the EU issues its annual report on Turkey's progress in bringing its laws into line with EU practice and on human rights, due in mid-October.