The European Union will expand the list of individual sanctions against Turkey.

This decision was made by the heads of the EU member states at the summit in Brussels.

The corresponding conclusion was published on Twitter by the press secretary of the head of the European Council Barend Leits.

The reason for the strengthening of the restrictions was the exploration work that Turkey is conducting on the Cyprus shelf in the Mediterranean Sea.

From the point of view of Brussels, intelligence is being carried out in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus and violates the rights of this state.

“Unfortunately, Turkey is taking unilateral measures and arranging provocations, and has also toughened its rhetoric towards the EU, EU member states and European leaders.

Turkey's unilateral provocative activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus, continue to this day, ”the document says.

"The language of sanctions and threats"

The summit participants said in a statement that the European Union "remains determined to defend its interests and the interests of its member states, as well as maintain regional stability."

In this regard, the summit instructs the "EU Council, based on the Decision of November 11, 2019, to expand the list of restrictive measures in view of unauthorized drilling operations carried out by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean."

In addition, the European Council calls on the High Representative of the EU and the European Commission, no later than the meeting of the European Council in March 2021, to submit for consideration a "report on the state of political, economic and trade relations between the EU and Turkey, as well as on (available to the EU) means and options for further actions, including expanding the scope of the above-mentioned decision (on sanctions. -

RT

) ".

  • Reuters

  • © Yves Herman

At the same time, the EU does not intend to abandon mutually beneficial relations with Turkey.

The document notes that the proposals for a positive agenda are still in force.

We are talking about trade and economic cooperation, as well as cooperation on migration issues.

The European Union promises to continue providing targeted financial support to Turkey for Syrian refugees who remain on Turkish territory.

At the same time, Brussels intends to coordinate its actions on Turkey with the US authorities.

The fact that the EU is preparing to expand sanctions against Turkey, earlier, with reference to the draft statement of the leaders of the union, was reported by Reuters.

And at the end of November, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU to impose tough sanctions against Turkey for its activities in the Mediterranean.

On the eve of the EU summit, the press secretary of the Turkish President Ibrahim Kalin said that he had studied the draft document and expressed hope that EU leaders would still "avoid the language of sanctions and threats against Turkey, since sanctions will never yield results."

He noted that Turkey has disagreements with some countries on certain issues, but they should not determine the parameters of relations between Ankara and the European Union.

According to experts, Turkey and the EU really have strong relations, and the issue of refugees occupies an important place in them.

As Alexei Kuznetsov, the head of the Center for European Studies at the IMEMO RAS, explained in a commentary to RT, the EU authorities have not accidentally stressed that they intend to maintain a partnership on the migration issue.

“During the civil war in Syria, the EU supported anti-government militants.

As a result, this led to the growth of terrorist structures, and also provoked a humanitarian disaster.

Refugees poured into Europe through Turkey, where they stayed.

Now the Turkish authorities maintain refugee camps and restrain their influx into the EU.

To some extent, Turkey even blackmails the EU with this.

In general, the interdependence of Europe and Turkey is quite deep.

These are trade and investments, as well as security issues, ”the expert said.

Yuri Mavashev, director of the Center for the Study of New Turkey, shares a similar point of view.

“The refugee issue is a key security issue for the EU.

Turkey is helping to curb the influx of immigrants from Syria to Europe, so the Europeans are seriously dependent on Ankara in this matter, ”he explained in a comment to RT.

Controversial resources

Recall that the conflict over Cyprus began in the 1960s, after the island gained independence from Great Britain.

As a result of many years of military confrontation, Cyprus was divided into the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey.

At the same time, the Republic of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004.

The discovery in 2010 of large gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean has become a pretext for new contradictions between Turkey and the Republic of Cyprus.

  • Border of the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

  • AFP

  • © Birol BEBEK

Thus, the Aphrodite field, discovered in 2011 on the Cyprus shelf, has a resource potential of 230 billion cubic meters of gas.

From Ankara's point of view, the Turkish Cypriot community has rights to the hydrocarbon reserves discovered on this shelf.

In 2017, the Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognized Republic of Northern Cyprus held negotiations, but the parties failed to agree on how gas production on the island shelf would be conducted. 

From the point of view of the European Union, all the territorial waters of the island belong to the Republic of Cyprus.

Therefore, the drilling activity deployed by Ankara is illegal, according to the EU.

In May 2019, the Turkish drilling ship Fatih began work west of Cyprus, and soon another Turkish ship, Yavuz, was sent to the island area.

Drilling vessels were accompanied by ships of the Turkish Navy.

As Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the time, Ankara will continue geological exploration until the Greek community of Crete agrees to establish a mining commission jointly with the Turkish side.

In July 2019, the EU Council announced sanctions against Turkey for drilling in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus.

It was decided to suspend negotiations on the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement and postpone the Association Council.

Let us remind you that Turkey has been preparing for European association since 1963, when Ankara signed an agreement with the predecessor of the EU - the European Economic Community (EEC).

The sanctions also affected the financial sector - it was proposed to cut the amount of subsidies to Turkey for 2020.

However, Ankara did not abandon its plans, the country's Foreign Ministry said that the republic will continue to explore the bowels of the Eastern Mediterranean.

  • Mevlut Cavushkoglu

  • AFP

  • © Adem ALTAN

In November 2019, the European Union outlined the framework for new restrictive measures against Turkey.

According to the decision of the EU Council, the sanctions may include a ban on travel to the EU and the freezing of assets of individuals and legal entities involved in drilling operations.

"Tired of sitting on the porch of the European Union"

The situation escalated even more in 2020, when Turkey sent another research vessel, the Oruc Reis, to the disputed area.

It was originally planned that his mission would last until August 23, but it was subsequently extended until mid-September.

According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara will not give up its activities in the eastern Mediterranean.

Against the background of such steps of the Turkish Republic, the foreign ministers of the EU member states agreed to prepare a new package of anti-Turkish restrictions.

In early November, the EU Council also decided to extend the previously imposed sanctions against Turkey until November 12, 2021.

However, experts believe that the possible benefits from the development of Cypriot deposits will outweigh the damage for Turkey that European restrictions may cause to the country.

  • Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis accompanied by ships of the Navy

  • AFP

  • © TURKISH DEFENCE MINISTRY

“It is unlikely that Ankara would have continued drilling otherwise.

Moreover, while the EU is introducing relatively small sanctions.

They will grow over time: this is how the European Union always acts - it builds up pressure gradually.

Now these sanctions are unlikely to seriously affect relations between Turkey and the EU, ”Aleksey Kuznetsov said.

According to the expert, Turkey still has few chances to become an EU member in the foreseeable future, so European restrictions will not greatly affect the relations of the parties.

“The European Union clearly does not plan to admit Turkey to its membership in the next 10-20 years.

In turn, Ankara today is pursuing an independent, sometimes even provocative policy.

And the European Union is no longer authoritative for her.

Turkey is tired of sitting on the porch of the European Union and does not want to look back at its opinion, ”Aleksey Kuznetsov said.

Yuri Mavashev adheres to a slightly different point of view.

According to the expert, Ankara has enlisted the support of some major European country before aggravating relations with the EU.

“For example, the UK has left the EU and is playing its game in the Eastern Mediterranean.

I think it is no coincidence that London is now refraining from criticizing Ankara.

It is possible that their interests coincide.

As for the sanctions, only those that affect the banking sector will damage Turkey.

But in spite of everything, the European Union leaves the doors open for Turkey.

However, it is unlikely that the relations between Ankara and Brussels will remain the same, as will the plans for Turkey's European association.

Figuratively speaking, if a vase is broken, you will have to buy a new one, ”Mavashev summed up.