On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusogl, said Turkey will respond if the European Union (EU) imposes new sanctions on Ankara.
In a press conference with the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, Cavusogl stated: “If the EU takes further decisions against Turkey, we will have to respond to them.”
Cavusogl urged the EU to be an ‘honest broker’ and said that Turkey will not be held hostage by Greece and Cyprus.
The EU ministers plan to discuss Turkey on July 13 in order to consider imposing new sanctions on the country in addition to taking steps over Turkey’s drilling in Cyprus’ maritime economic zone off the divided island.
In February the EU imposed a travel ban and asset freezes on two people for their role in Turkey’s drilling in Cyrus economic zones.
The EU’s decisions come after accusations of Turkey dispatching warship-escorted vessels off Cyprus to drill for gas leading to the Greek Cypriot government of the ethnically split island to slam Turkey for intruding in its waters and economic rights.
Turkey-EU relations also worsen due to the Libyan conflict where Turkey supports the international and UN-recognized government and accuses France of backing eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar.
Moreover, earlier this year Ankara stopped preventing Libyan migrants trying to cross into Greece by land and sea borders and repeatedly called France to apologise after an incident between Turkish and French warships in the Mediterranean.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusogl, said “We want to work with the EU … [but] if the EU takes additional decisions against Turkey, we will be forced to reciprocate. The situation will become more tense and this will serve no one. Our expectation is for the EU not to be a party to the problem but to be a part of the solution.”