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Ankara (AFP)
Turkey rejected the European Union’s threat to impose sanctions in the context of Ankara’s activities to explore for gas in the eastern Mediterranean, describing it as “unconstructive.”
On Friday morning, European Union leaders warned Turkey that Brussels could impose sanctions on it if it does not stop illegal drilling operations in the territorial waters of Cyprus and Greece.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in response to the European Union summit on Thursday that “continuing to use the language of sanctions is not constructive. The European Union must now understand that it will achieve nothing with this kind of speech. “.
Tensions in the energy-rich eastern Mediterranean have subsided since Ankara and Athens agreed to hold talks last month.
NATO’s two neighbors staged war maneuvers in the disputed waters and escalated the rhetoric in August, prompting Greece and Cyprus to demand a strong response from the European Union.
The EU summit declaration offered Turkey a chance to strengthen ties and improve trade if Ankara agrees to “continue the dialogue in good faith and refrain from unilateral action.”
International Crisis Group Turkey analyst Berkay Manderasi said the EU statement was “the best Ankara could hope for”. But although the Turkish ministry welcomed these “positive elements,” he said, “some parts are detached from reality.”
The ministry said the EU statement showed how some countries “wanted to develop relations” with Turkey, but was also an example of how Greece and Cyprus “took EU-Turkey relations hostage.”
Turkey also called on the European Union to foster dialogue between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots in the northern third of the island to establish a mechanism to coordinate hydrocarbon activities.
Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish army invaded its northern part in 1974 in response to a coup attempt aimed at annexing Cyprus to Greece.
© 2020 AFP
