EU leaders condemned late on 20 June “Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea,” saying the European Union would now consider what measures to take in response, a move that opens that way for imposing sanctions on Turkey.

The European Council in a statement expressed serious concerns over Turkey’s “current illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean” and deplored that Ankara has not yet responded to the EU’s repeated calls to cease such activities.

Underlining the serious immediate negative impact that such illegal actions have across the range of EU-Turkey relations, the Council called on Turkey to show restraint, respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus and refrain from any such actions.

The European Council upgraded its diplomatic response from the previous conclusions, including of 22 March 2018, calling on the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to submit options for “appropriate” and “targeted” measures without delay.

New Europe | Kostis Geropoulos | 21/6/19