European leaders must make Turkey sanctions a priority

It is ultimately sanctions that will prove effective against the expansionist territorial ambitions of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, deterring the country’s strongman from pursuing further detrimental policies, wrote journalists and broadcaster Maria Maalouf in Saudi-based Arab News newspaper on Sunday.

Most European leaders agree on the existence of obnoxious Turkish policies,in Syria and Libya, with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the Eastern Mediterranean, Maalouf said, but  fail to agree on just how to express their stand.

Turkey’s tensions with Greece over territories in the Mediterranean have intensified in recent weeks and Erdoğan’s pursuit of hydrocarbons in contested waters off Turkey’s coastline and near Cyprus have provoked rebukes from the United States and the European Union. Ankara also maintains military presence in Syria and Iraq, while providing military aid to Libya’s embattled Government of National Accord (GNA).

Meanwhile, EU leaders are set to meet for a two-day summit from Sept. 24, during which time they willdecide whether or not to impose sanctions on Turkey over Ankara’s eastern Mediterranean dispute with Greece over hydrocarbon resources.

The obstacles that may stand before sanctions against Ankara include, Erdoğan’s possible flouting of such a move by rejecting foreign interference; Turkey exploiting the disunity among the Europeans in how to deal with the issue, and Turkey’s further cooperation with Russia, Maalouf wrote.

But it must be remembered, the analyst said, the Turkish president is “facing much domestic opposition due to the same policies that are aggravating the Europeans and the Americans.’’

Erdoğan’s job approval rating fell to the lowest level since the outbreak of COVID-19, according to a nationwide survey published last month.

Turkey’s strongman has “exacted a heavy price for his country with his disputes with Greece and his actions in many countries, especially Syria and Libya,’’ the analyst wrote.

“He has to be convinced that his policies are a failure,’’ Maalouf said. “If the Europeans can make the imposition of sanctions on Turkey a priority, this may deter Erdogan from further pursuing his detrimental policies.’’