[ad_1]
The extension of the extension and another Summit ended without the EU immediately imposing sanctions on Turkey, ensuring another three-month grace period until next March.
Merkel’s line crossed
Indeed, Merkel’s line dominated and, anticipating Joe Biden taking over the US presidency, Germany managed to “push” the issue of Euro-Turkish relations again in the future. It is no coincidence that German Chancellor In his post-summit remarks, including on the issue of arms exports to Turkey, he said that it should be considered in the context of NATO and in coordination with the new US government.
Of course, Germany was not alone in this line. On the contrary, the information from MEGA states that Spain maintained a very tough pro-Turkish stance, while Bulgaria’s role was also crucial, since according to diplomatic sources cited by euroactiv, Boyko Borisov and Angela Merkel blocked the sanctions. Italy, Malta, Poland and Hungary are firmly on the block. In fact, Italy intends to enter into a new trade agreement with Turkey for a total of $ 30 billion.
They dropped the tones
It is worth noting that both France and President Macron he appears to have toned down at the Summit even though he had previously called for a tough response from the EU to Turkey. In addition to Greece and Cyprus, a bloc of countries in favor of the sanctions was formed, including Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Denmark and the Baltic states. However, some of these countries have chosen not to actively participate in the debate during the European Council.
Mark for exploratory
In fact, the extension of sanctions was a balancing act within the EU, and the Europeans, showing that they were seeking a common approach towards Turkey with the new US leadership, decided to expand the list of people to impose sanctions, according to Oruc. Reis and demanded the reduction of tension to initiate exploratory contacts between Greece and Turkey.
For his part Tayyip erdogan Welcoming the stance of EU countries opposing the sanctions, he was quick to ask the United States and the EU to distance themselves, he said, from the influence of anti-Turkish lobbies, warning that potential sanctions against Turkey would affect both sides.
In fact, the representative of Turkish President Ibrahim Kalin hastened, after the decisions of the Summit, to declare Ankara’s readiness to initiate exploratory contacts and a dialogue without terms and conditions.
Following the decisions of the EU Summit, the United States with a large majority in the Senate They passed the defense budget bill which, among other things, paves the way for the imposition of sanctions on Turkey in relation to the supply of Russian S-400 missile systems.
It is not an end in itself
For its part, Greece seems satisfied as reflected in its statements Kyriakou Mitsotaki immediately after the Summit. The Greek prime minister spoke of a step forward for the EU, arguing that this European Council decision is “the strongest warning to Turkey to change its behavior.”
“The sanctions for Greece are not an end in themselves, the threat of sanctions is the best tool to put pressure on the neighboring country,” said Mitsotakis, among others.
“The context of the conclusions text could be better and more decisive. “It is important for the EU to show that it is moving in the right direction with slow steps, but we must not kick, throw the can,” Stelios Petsas had said early in the morning when asked to comment on the results of the Summit. mainly focused on enlargement. of the list of sanctions in sight next March.
Withdrawal
In another wave, the ND deputy and internationalist Angelos Syrigos, stated: “Obviously I am not satisfied with the measures taken. In relation to what the EU had said in October, we have a withdrawal. The last paragraph of the Conclusions is absolutely disappointing. He hopes to see what we will do in cooperation with the United States for Turkey. “
Indeed, Mr. Syrigos added: “The EU has or does not have a strategy for this area. Κάθε each country has its own strategy towards the region.” Nor is there a word in the text of the Conclusions on the rule of law and human rights in Turkey. “He also stressed that in relation to the October Summit, the current decision of the European Council is a setback.
Diplomatic defeat
On the part of the opposition, the attack on the government was fierce and the comments on the Summit’s decision, which was interpreted by all parties as a defeat of the country and emptying of the government, were fierce.
He spoke of one of the biggest diplomatic defeats in the country. Alexis Tsipras and blamed Kyriakos Mitsotakis, commenting in his report that sanctions are not an end in themselves, as SYRIZA President “Probably the problem is not only that today the country has suffered one of the most important diplomatic defeats of the last decades, but that the prime minister of the country does not seem to understand where he is going and where he is.”
At the Summit we had a diplomatic defeat for the country. The government had announced “sanctions that will affect Turkey”, but went below the bar. It is obvious that the EU is inferior to the circumstances, just as the government is inferior to the circumstances.
– Alexis Tsipras – Alexis Tsipras (@atsipras) December 11, 2020
Fiasco
by Europe fiasco and Mitsotakis defeat, He said Fofi Gennimata accusing the prime minister of unequivocally accepting the withdrawal of the EU even from the October decisions.
“After these negative developments, it is unacceptable for the Greek prime minister to say that the EU has supposedly gone one step further. “This is not a step forward, but many steps back,” said the president of KINAL, in statements to the parliamentary group of her party.
It is unacceptable after this negative development for the Greek Prime Minister to say that the EU supposedly took another step. This is not one step forward, but many steps back.
➡ https://t.co/VR9BELaOJV#Summit pic.twitter.com/Gwh9XB8Ms9
– Fofi Gennimata (@FofiGennimata) December 11, 2020
The masks fell
It did not show confidence in the EU, the Greek government and the parties in the Euro-Atlantic Arc for KKE Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas, highlighting that “the masks have fallen” and calling the decision of the EU summit a “green light” for Turkish aggression.
📍Declaration of the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece on the decision of the Summit
The “masks have fallen again” for the EU, for the government, for all those who present such alliances, as guarantors of peace and sovereignty. #Summit https://t.co/LY1renA5Kx– Press office of the KKE Central Committee (@gt_kke) December 11, 2020
Strategic defeat for those who deny the veto
A strategic defeat of the government characterizes the results of the Summit, MEPA25 and points out that “Mrs. Merkel does not count countries whose government is afraid to exercise the veto to which they are entitled.”
As the unforgettable Andreas Papandreou had said, they were never appreciated even by those who use them. Https://t.co/HpaUj3n8L6
– ΜέΡΑ25 (@ mera25_gr) December 11, 2020
Regarding the green light for the disbursement of funds from the Recovery Fund, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that “the 72,000 million euros is finally unlocked.”
[ad_2]