ANKARA – Turkey on Friday dismissed as “biased” and “unlawful” an EU move to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions in response to Ankara's drilling activities in the Mediterranean.
Turkey is at loggerheads with EU members Greece and Cyprus over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara has been challenging Athens over maritime territory in the region by repeatedly sending a gas exploration vessel into disputed waters.
“We reject the biased and unlawful attitude which had to be inserted into the December 10 EU summit conclusions after the pressure of solidarity and veto,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
After the marathon summit on Thursday, the bloc decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets for sanctions.
France, Greece, and Cyprus are pushing for action against Turkey, but other EU nations including Germany, Italy and Poland oppose slapping broad sanctions or an embargo on a fellow NATO member.
“The council adopted sanctions in the face of Turkey’s ‘unilateral actions and provocations’,” French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune tweeted. – AFP, December 11, 2020
