A clear and strong warning to Turkey – which included additional sanctions over its illegal exploratory drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean – was sent by the European Council in the final text of its conclusions on Friday, government sources said, according to ANA. This text was the result of intensive discussions and deliberations that lasted until the early morning hours in Brussels.
There are distinct changes in comparison with the original draft – which did not satisfy Athens – and they indicate that Europe, which as the sources noted takes one step at a time, also did the same at this Council.
“[This is] another step that is a strong warning to Turkey to change its behavior,” they said, adding that this was requested by several countries during the previous discussion, confirming Athens’ initial assessment that the Greek positions have also become European.
The same government sources said that “the European Council decided to impose sanctions on Turkey, expanding the list of persons and entities involved in illegal drilling in the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, it called upon the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission to submit a report by March 2021 on the full range of Euro-Turkish relations – political, economic, and trade (Customs Union assessment). The report will include all EU tools and options, including extending the scope of sanctions against Turkey.”
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