Ankara sanctions loom ahead of EU summit

Ankara sanctions loom ahead of EU summit

Fri, 2020-11-20 23:18

ANKARA: Turkey is facing a renewed threat of EU sanctions over its controversial drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean after European leaders lined up to condemn Ankara's "provocations“ in the region.

The latest salvo of criticism comes ahead of a major EU summit in December when Brussels will discuss punitive measures against Turkey over its natural gas exploration in the contested waters.

Statements by European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, show that Brussels is unlikely to step back from its threat to impose curbs following Turkey's insistence on carrying out drilling in disputed zones.

"Things haven't developed the way we would have wished,“ Merkel said following a meeting with EU leaders late on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that the EU could consider imposing sanctions against Turkey in December if Ankara failed to halt its "provocations“ in the region.

"If we see no positive signals coming from Turkey by December, only further provocations such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Northern Cyprus, then we are heading for a difficult debate,“ he said.

On the same day, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also warned Ankara that it is "widening its separation from the EU,“ adding that