Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay has lambasted a threat by the European Union to slap Ankara with sanctions on Saturday, labeling the move as “hypocritical.”
Oktay’s comments landed a day after the EU’s foreign policy chief stated that the bloc was planning to impose sanctions on Turkey – including severe economic measures – unless progress is made in easing tensions with Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean.
“It is hypocritical for the European Union to call for dialogue and, simultaneously, make other plans regarding Turkey’s activities within our continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Oktay posted on Twitter.
Turkey and Greece’s dispute flared after both agreed to conflicting treaties on their maritime boundaries with Libya and Egypt, and Turkey dispatched a survey vessel into contested waters this month.
The EU’s measures, aimed at limiting Turkey’s ability to explore natural gas in contested waters, could target individuals, ships, or could restrict the usage of European ports by the Turkish vessels, Borrell noted.
Borrell said the EU can enforce measures related to sectoral activities, underlining that “the Turkish economy is related to the European economy.”
The EU would focus on everything related to “activities we consider illegal,” he said.
Turkey and Greece are at odds over the rights to potential hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean, based on conflicting claims about their continental shelves’ extent.
On Friday night, Turkey issued a Navtex notice – an advisory message to mariners – saying it would be holding a “gunnery exercise” from Saturday until Sept. 11 off northwest Cyprus.
The post Turkish VP lashes out at EU sanctions threat over east Mediterranean appeared first on Turkish Minute.
from Turkish Minute https://www.turkishminute.com/2020/08/29/turkish-vp-lashes-at-eu-sanctions-threat-over-east-mediterranean/
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder