Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the European Union should impose "meaningful" sanctions on Turkey if it does not withdraw its naval vessels from the disputed areas in the eastern Mediterranean, and in the meantime Ankara is holding consultations on oil and gas exploration with the Libyan Government of National Accord.
"We really need dialogue, but not under threat, which threatens the security and stability of my country and threatens the prosperity and safety of all member states of the European Union," Mitsotakis said in an article published on Thursday in the British newspapers, The Times of Britain, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and Le Monde of France.
This month, EU leaders are expected to determine their response to Turkey, and the Greek prime minister wrote that if Turkey did not withdraw its naval vessels, "meaningful sanctions" should be imposed on it.
He added, "If Europe wants to exercise real political and geopolitical power, then Turkey should not placate hostility," noting that Turkey still has time to avoid sanctions and "take a step back."
"They have to retreat, return to the table and resume work from the point at which they left when they left the exploratory talks in 2016. And if we cannot agree, then we must seek a solution in The Hague," he added, referring to the international tribunal that looks into disputes over sovereignty.
In this context, sharp differences in the eastern Mediterranean will dominate the talks at the southern European Union summit chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron today on the French island of Corsica.
The leaders of the seven member states of the "MED 7" group will meet for a few hours in a hotel in the seaside resort of Porticio in the Gulf of Ajaccio, in an attempt to adjust their strategy in order to avoid an exacerbation of the crisis between Turkey and Greece.
The French Elysee Palace said that the aim is to advance on the path of consensus on the relationship of the European Union with Turkey, in preparation for the European summit on September 24 and 25, which will be devoted to this purpose in Brussels.
Greece and Turkey are in dispute over the maritime borders in the eastern Mediterranean region, and Ankara, which is demanding the right to exploit oil and gas, has sent a survey ship to an area that both countries say is affiliated with it.
France clearly showed its support for Greece by deploying warships and fighter planes in the region, in an initiative strongly condemned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On the other hand, Bloomberg News reported that Turkey is conducting consultations on oil and gas exploration with the Libyan Government of National Accord.
The agency quoted a well-informed Turkish official that Turkey is discussing with the internationally recognized Libyan government in Tripoli allocating concession areas for energy exploration by land and sea.
She added that the National Oil Corporation, also based in Tripoli, is participating in the talks, which include topics such as electricity generation operations and pipelines.