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© Associated Press
In the foreground are the leaders of Germany and Bulgaria (Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov), and in the background are the presidents of Cyprus and France, Nikos Anastasiadis and Emmanuel Macron. The first two countries are mentioned in media publications as blockers of the sanctions that the last two, together with Greece, demanded to impose.
At least six countries have opposed tougher sanctions against Turkey, but Bulgaria and Germany have more clearly expressed their stance against the tighter measures due to tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.
This was announced by diplomatic sources from the Brussels EurActiv edition, while the French newspaper “Le Monde” points to Berlin and Sofia along with Budapest, explaining the postponement of the most drastic measures.
In addition to the above, Spain, Italy and Malta also opposed, but did not express it openly, writes EurActiv. A diplomat, known for his warm relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, described the site as “unpredictable,” and a Dnevnik interlocutor also suggested this week that Borissov would likely try to limit sanctions.
Dnevnik directed questions to the government press service. The answer that came shortly after the publication of this text was that Bulgaria had “again supported Greece and Cyprus”. “Bulgaria has not blocked anything. A report by the High Representative and the Commission has not yet been considered and a decision has not been made on possible instruments and courses of action in the areas to which they would apply and their scope. This must be done. no later than the next European Council in March 2021 “.
Fault or warning
What happened today in Brussels could be interpreted as a failure of Greece and Cyprus and the most active Western proponent of sectoral sanctions, France, or as a further warning to Turkey a few months before the change of administration with the return of Joe Biden to the House. Blanca, this time as President of the United States.
The EU has also expressed its readiness to coordinate future sanctions with the United States and, according to Reuters, Washington is preparing to sanction Turkey’s defense industry for Russia’s S-400 complexes. According to Die Zeit, the EU leaves the door open for dialogue if possible, and Le Monde and other German media have written that Merkel does not rule out a ban on arms exports to Turkey and has used that argument to reassure Greece.
The result of the council, however, is personal sanctions and measures against companies whose European assets have been frozen. They are building a system to ban travel and freeze assets for drilling-related assets – two representatives from the Turkish Oil Corporation have joined it and now the list will be expanded.
In partial confirmation of what was admitted by one of Dnevnik’s interlocutors before the meeting, together with the “slight” restrictions, a new deadline was announced to reduce tension: three months, until March, whose expiry without changes could lead to sanctions.
The same was announced in September, a period of several months to resolve the controversy, and before the council, the leaders said there was no change in Turkey’s behavior. EU leaders explained today that Turkey is “acting unilaterally and provoking” the EU through its oil and gas exploration in disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean. The joint statement condemned the opening of the Varosha region, which had separated from the Cyprus conflict this fall.
Another solution is for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, to draw up a report on the state of political, economic and trade relations between Europe and Turkey and propose new actions, including sanctions. The report should be ready in March.
What Borisov said
Borissov commented briefly on the Eastern Mediterranean issue. He noted that Bulgaria, as a member of the EU, supports the friendly countries Greece and Cyprus and “aims”. “Yes, there are sanctions against individuals, companies. But for the next three months the door remains open again,” said Borissov, commenting on and later sent by the Council of Ministers. According to him, Bulgaria has also proposed that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg be invited to the next European Council.
At the same time, Le Monde points out that Hungary and Bulgaria do not want to damage their trade ties with Turkey, and Malta, Italy and Spain are also careful: Spain’s state-owned Navantia, for example, is completing construction of the first aircraft carrier for the Turkish fleet in Istanbul. It is important that Germany maintains the agreement that restricts migration to the EU and agreed in 2016.
“Abuse of solidarity”
Divisions were visible ahead of the long-awaited meeting, and the Turkish leader said yesterday that he was “not particularly concerned.”
However, despite serious restrictions, Ankara rejected the “prejudice and illegality” of the European Union and asked it to act as an “honest mediator” between its own members, Greece and Cyprus, on the one hand, and Turkey, on tensions over the Eastern Mediterranean. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his party that today’s measures, as well as those ahead of the United States, would harm both parties and that their relationship would not have to be sacrificed.
The Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement saying that the decision to extend the sanctions, while not meeting the expectations of Greece and Cyprus, was only “in solidarity” with them, and that the abuse of this concept by Athens and Nicosia, create a “vicious cycle”.
