Greek referendum not about being in euro zone or not - EU's Tusk

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is looking for ways to keep Greece inside the euro, but that may mean getting used to having a bankrupt country in the single currency area, European Council President Donald Tusk was quoted as saying.

"Maybe we will have to get used to living with a country as a member of the euro zone in bankruptcy," Tusk said in an interview given on Thursday evening to news website Politico before Sunday's Greek referendum on a bailout deal.

"It’s very clear that the referendum is not ... about being in the euro zone or not," Tusk said, diverging from other EU leaders who have said Sunday's referendum is about whether Greece stayed in the euro zone.

If Greeks vote 'yes' on Sunday, "I think it’s a chance to open a new chapter in negotiations, perhaps more promising than before," Tusk said. In case of a 'no', "the space for negotiation will be smaller, obviously," said Tusk, who chairs EU summits.

(Reporting by Adrian Croft; editing by Paul Taylor)