Turkey must end provocations or face sanctions - Greek PM
Saturday 12/December/2020 - 09:30 PM
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday that Turkey will face EU sanctions unless it ends its “provocative behaviour”, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
On Thursday, the European Union agreed to expand the list of individuals and entities involved in Turkish drilling activities for natural gas in disputed wasters in the eastern Mediterranean but stopped short of targeting the Turkish economy directly.
Greece and Cyprus, which accuse Turkey of violating their maritime borders in competition for access to hydrocarbons in the region, had pushed for tougher measures during the European Council meeting this week, before reportedly being blocked by Germany and Bulgaria.
But speaking to a press conference after the meeting, Mitsotakis said European leaders had sent Turkey a strict warning.
“Sanctions (against Turkey) are not an end in itself,” Kathimerini cited Mitsotakis as saying.
“Turkey is expected to change its ways and it has been understood that Europe is moving, if at its own pace, it is united, it supports Greece and Cyprus, it is present,” he said.
The European Council said it would review the situation no later than March next year, at which point further measures could be taken.
