The European summit will start today, Thursday, in Brussels, in the presence of the leaders and heads of government of the 27 countries that make up the European Union, while France called for a firm stop towards Turkey.

Among the topics on the summit's agenda is the relationship with Turkey, in the context of the ongoing tensions in the eastern Mediterranean.

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Brussels, Muhammad al-Baqali, said that European-Turkish relations are the most important file in the summit's work, against the backdrop of the severe tension in relations between Greece and Turkey, and the escalation that accompanied it in the eastern Mediterranean.

The complexities and overlaps of the maritime borders between the Eastern Mediterranean countries (The Economist)

Summit agenda

Al-Bakkali indicated that he expected European leaders at this summit to confirm their support for Greece and Cyprus in the face of Turkey, with an emphasis on the necessity of calm and reducing tension.

Al-Jazeera correspondent pointed out that the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who had visited both Greece and Cyprus in mid-September and spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that all options are on the table during this summit. A message to Turkey if it does not take what he called a constructive approach to resolving the current conflicts in the eastern Mediterranean.

Al-Baqali added that it is clear that things are moving for the better, especially after the military talks that took place between Ankara and Athens in the Belgian capital Brussels, in addition to the political initiatives sponsored by Germany.

Different positions of France and Germany on Turkey (Reuters)

Positions and invitations

Earlier yesterday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed in a speech in her country's parliament the importance of EU cooperation with Turkey.

She explained that the Union has multi-dimensional relations with Turkey, and "we must balance our relations again with it." Merkel praised Turkey's hospitality for refugees, noting that she is also a member of NATO.

Before the summit, French Minister of State for European Affairs Clement Bion said on Thursday that the European Union should stand firm against Turkey and that this could mean imposing possible sanctions.

"There must be indications of momentum in the near term ... We will see if sanctions are imposed," he told France 2 television.

Mission and vision

On the eve of the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a message to European leaders, confirming that Turkey's relations with the European Union are facing a new test, in the meantime, a senior German official revealed that the summit does not include any plans to impose sanctions on Turkey.

Erdogan pointed out that “Greece and Cyprus are the cause of the problems, not Turkey,” reiterating his country's readiness for an unconditional dialogue with Greece on the maritime borders in the eastern Mediterranean, and noting the support of NATO's initiatives in this context.

Erdogan added that Turkey wants to see the eastern Mediterranean region dominated by cooperation, peace and stability through the fair distribution of wealth.

However, he stressed that Turkey's demand to stop its search and exploration operations in the eastern Mediterranean is "unjust and unjust."