EU set to sanction Turkey over East Med dispute

By Ahval

The European Union is preparing sanctions against Turkey over the eastern Mediterranean dispute with Greece, Reuters reported on Friday.

The measures, designed to limit Turkey’s ability to survey for natural gas in contested waters, could affect individuals, ships or the use of European ports, Reuters cited the EU’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell as saying.

The EU would focus on any “activities we consider illegal”, Borrell told a news conference in Berlin following a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“We can go to measures related to sectoral activities…where the Turkish economy is related to the European economy,” he said.

EU foreign ministers met the days after Greece ratified a deal on its maritime boundaries to counter Turkey’s claims to hydrocarbon exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Tensions have risen in the region between NATO allies Turkey and Greece after Ankara sent the Oruç Reis research vessel into territorially disputed waters earlier this month, causing a military standoff at risk of escalating into a direct confrontation.

Turkey’s candidacy to join the EU could be withdrawn as a type of sanction, diplomats have said.

Two senior EU diplomats told Reuters that foreign ministers agreed to leave any decisions on sanctions to EU leaders, who are set to meet for a two-day summit from Sept. 24.

“Nothing will be decided before the September European Council,” a senior diplomat told Reuters.

The envoy said that Turkey could also be rewarded with greater access to the EU’s market of 450 million people if it curtailed its drilling.

Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Friday hailed his EU counterparts for their “absolutely supportive” stance towards Greece and Cyprus in the face of Turkish actions in the eastern Mediterranean.

“I think the Greek side got what it could get: An agreement on sanctions, if Turkey does not de-escalate and does not return to the dialogue table,” Kathimerini cited Dendias as saying after the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Dendias said Greece does not want sanctions but that “red lines” must be drawn according to the “country’s constitution, the protection of its sovereignty and its sovereign rights.”. He said he hoped Turkey “would return to reason, stop the provocations and abstract actions”.

Greece and Turkey have long disagreed on overlapping claims to hydrocarbon resources in the region, with both sides holding conflicting views of how far their continental shelves extend.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry rejected Greek maritime claims and said the EU had no basis for its stance.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Turkey will continue to protect its rights and interests everywhere.

“Our president told him NATO must fulfil its responsibility against unilateral steps which disregard international law and harm regional peace,” Erdoğan’s office said in a statement reported by Reuters.

Turkey’s Defence Ministry said Turkish F-16 jets on Thursday prevented six Greek F-16 jets from entering an area where Ankara is conducting maritime activity.

Greek media said the Turkish fighter aircraft had harassed Greek jets which were returning to base on Crete.

The Turkish navy is set to hold gunnery exercises involving live fire off the coast of its southeastern Iskenderun province on Sept. 1 and 2, as announced from the southern Antalya NAVTEX station on Thursday.

“Today’s announcement is about planned activities for gunnery training for our naval forces,” Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters in a later press briefing.  “We have repeatedly stated that we are determined, zealous and competent to defend our rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and we continue our efforts within this framework.”

Referring to France’s plans for further military exercises in the Mediterranean, following last week’s joint drills with Greece, Cyprus and Italy, Akar said, “They say they will hold drills. Let them. Our borders are clearly defined.”