BRUSSELS – EU leaders took a step towards imposing more sanctions on Turkish targets today in response to Ankara's prospecting for gas in Greek and Cypriot waters.
"The chosen measures will be sanctions on individuals, and supplementary measures could be decided if Turkey pursues its actions," a diplomat told AFP.
There will be disappointment in Athens that the leaders, meeting at a summit in Brussels, did not agree to seek an arms embargo or to target economic sectors.
But the conclusions, released by a European Council spokesman, called for a list to be drawn up of targets for "restrictive measures".
And, they mandated chief EU diplomat Josep Borrell to prepare a report on more measures that could be taken to "expand the scope" of the action.
This will be submitted to leaders at or before their summit in March next year.
"Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU, EU member states and European leaders," the leaders said.
"Turkish unilateral and provocative activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are still taking place, including in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone."
Greece, with French backing, has led the charge for tougher EU action against Turkey, which has repeatedly sent a gas drilling vessel into disputed waters.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the "credibility of the European Union" was at stake as he arrived at yesterday's summit.
He noted that the leaders had already agreed in October that something must be done about Turkey's increasingly assertive actions in his region.
"This is the moment to show whether we, as Europe, really are credible in what we have agreed," he said.
Some members of the European Union and of Nato – the military alliance that includes both Greece and Turkey – have been more cautious.
Germany has led diplomatic outreach aimed at resolving the dispute, and Nato has set up a military hotline to head off accidental clashes.
Difficult relationship
Speaking just ahead of the summit, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg tried to soothe tempers.
He noted that Turkey was hosting around four million refugees, more than any other Nato ally, and that the country had suffered from terrorist attacks.
"There are differences, there are disagreements, we need to address them," Stoltenberg said.
"At the same time, we need to make sure that we realise the importance of Turkey as part of Nato and also as part of the Western family."
Turkey's relationship with Western allies has become increasingly strained in recent months.
The US has been infuriated by Ankara's purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system, which is incompatible with Nato's air defence grid.
Turkey has also been accused of breaching the UN arms embargo on Libya, where it is backing the Tripoli government in the civil war.
And, Turkish support is seen as having encouraged Azerbaijan to resume a long-dormant conflict with Armenia.
French President Emmanuel Macron has engaged in an increasingly bitter and personal war of words with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and has called for EU solidarity with Greece. – AFP, December 11, 2020
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