EU Imposes Sanctions on Turkey Over Eastern Mediterranean Drills

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The European Union (EU) has decided in yesterday's (July 15) foreign ministers meeting to impose sanctions on Turkey over its drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Accordingly, it will reduce the pre-accession financial assistance to Turkey for 2020 and ask the European Investment Bank to review its lending to the country.

The EU will also suspend negotiations on the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement and will not hold the Association Council and further meetings of the EU-Turkey high-level dialogues for the time being.

The sanctions were announced at around 10 p.m. last night, while the meeting was held in the morning. The delay was caused by a request from Turkey, the Euractiv said, citing EU officials and European diplomats. Turkey asked EU to wait until today as announcing the sanctions on the anniversary of the 2016 coup attempt would be "insensitive" towards the people of Turkey. The EU, however, said it would be difficult to hide the information from the public but decided to wait for several hours until the commemoration events end.

The Council of Europe called Turkey in a written statement to "refrain from illegal activities within Cypriot territorial waters" and "act in a spirit of good neighborliness." Turkey recently dispatched its second drillship to northern Cyprus for gas exploration activities. "The Council will closely monitor developments and will revert to this issue as appropriate," it added.

Foreign Ministry: EU shows prejudice and bias

Turkey's Foreign Ministry condemned the EU decision in a statement, saying the country will continue its hydrocarbon activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"This decision shows how prejudiced and biased the European Union is on the Cyprus issue as Turkish Cypriots, who have equal rights to the natural resources of the island, are not mentioned and ignored," the ministry said and added that Turkey will continue to protect its and Turkish Cypriots' rights.

"These conclusions are the latest examples of how the Greek Cypriot-Greek duo abuse their EU memberships for the sake of their maximalist positions and how other EU countries are instrumental to this end," the Ministry said.

"EU's preference for taking decisions against Turkey, rather than making use of this opportunity and encouraging the two sides to come together on the Island with regard to the hydrocarbon resources, is an ineffective, unrealistic and unconstructive behavior.

Our country will continue to protect both its own rights and the rights of Turkish Cypriots with determination, and will further boost its activities to this end. The EU, who has not kept its promises to the Turkish Cypriots since 26 April 2004, has no word to say to us in this regard." (EKN/VK)