Borrell: ‘Agreement for the drafting of sanctions against Turkey does exist’

File photo: Resolving the issue of drilling and the presence of Turkish ships in the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus is a matter of urgency,Borrell said. EPA/FRANCOIS LENOIR / POOL




Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs & Security Policy and European Commission Vice-President, on Friday said that an agreement for the drafting of sanctions against Turkey does exist, speaking on the second day of an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers, being held in Berlin.

In the meantime, Turkey must refrain from unilateral actions in the eastern Mediterranean, as there is growing disappointment with Turkish behavior across the bloc, he stressed.

Resolving the issue of drilling and the presence of Turkish ships in the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus is a matter of urgency, he added, referring to the EU’s relations with Turkey.

Speaking after the end of the meeting, he noted that “there must be a differentiation of the problem of drilling in disputed waters – where there is a risk of conflict and mediation is needed, that is what Germany is doing – and Turkey’s complicated relationship with the EU.”

He insisted that “the most pressing issue is that of the drilling and the presence of Turkish ships in the territorial waters of Greece and Cyprus – something that is dangerous.”

Meanwhile, German Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas said that restrictive measures against Turkey must be discussed at the EU Summit in September, and he added that relations with Ankara are tense due to the ongoing dispute in the eastern Mediterranean.

Maas stressed his belief that the only viable way out of this regional geopolitical crisis is, he said, constructive dialogue.

Source: ANA – MPA

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