ZCZC
BFF-08
EU-SUMMIT
EU leaders back Belarus sanctions, warn Turkey
BRUSSELS, Oct 2, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – EU leaders agreed to impose sanctions
against members of the Belarus regime on Friday and fired a warning at Turkey
over its gas drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean.
In a summit statement hammered out over more than six hours of haggling,
the 27 leaders warned Ankara it could face “immediate” sanctions if it
persists with gas exploration in Cypriot waters.
The statement was enough for Nicosia to lift its veto on separate, long-
delayed sanctions over the crisis in Belarus, which officials say will now
come into effect on Friday.
The first night of the two-day European Union summit was dominated by the
bloc’s fraught ties with Ankara, which is embroiled in a dangerous maritime
stand-off with Greece and Cyprus.
Adopting a carrot and stick approach, the leaders’ statement offers Ankara
the prospect of closer ties and better trade if it commits to “pursuing
dialogue in good faith and abstaining from unilateral actions”.
But it warns that the EU is prepared to use sanctions — possibly including
swinging broad-based economic measures — if Turkey persists with what
Brussels sees as its illegal infringement of Cypriot waters.
“In case of such renewed actions by Ankara the EU will use all its
instruments and options available. We have a toolbox that we can apply
immediately,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told
reporters after the summit.
But previous EU warnings, and sanctions on individuals involved in the
drilling, have done little to deter Ankara and the final statement falls some
way short of the immediate action Nicosia had pushed for.
– Erdogan defiant –
Before the summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a defiant
note, telling his parliament that the EU had made itself a “hostage” of the
“spoiled Greeks and the Greek Cypriot administration”.
He vowed to maintain his “determined approach”.
The EU leaders have agreed to “closely monitor developments” in the eastern
Mediterranean and revert to the matter at another summit in December.
Despite the growing tensions with Erdogan’s government, the EU is wary of
alienating an important neighbour, a NATO member which played a crucial role
in ending the continent’s 2015-16 migrant crisis.
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has led a diplomatic outreach, was
keen to stress that the potential remains for improved relations.
“We also want to take this positive agenda forward, because we are aware of
the importance of strategic relations with Turkey, despite all the
differences,” she said.
Turkey-Greece tensions have eased slightly, with the two sides agreeing to
resume long-stalled talks and on Thursday they set up a military hotline at
NATO to avoid any accidental clashes in the area.
The EU leaders welcomed these steps and called for the efforts to be
“sustained and broadened”.
Further complicating the Turkey talks are allegations of meddling by Ankara
in the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh, where nearly 130 people have been killed
in a flare-up between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
French President Emmanuel Macron demanded Turkey explain what he said was
the arrival of Syrian jihadist fighters in Azerbaijan.
“A red line has been crossed, which is unacceptable,” he said.
“I urge all NATO partners to face up to the behaviour of a NATO member.”
– Belarus blockage cleared –
The agreement on Turkey persuaded Cyprus to lift the veto which it had
imposed on sanctions over the Belarus political crisis to try to get more EU
measures against Ankara over its drilling activity.
The EU will now impose asset freezes and travel bans on around 40 members
of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime whom it blames for rigging the
August 9 election and cracking down on protests afterwards.
But, unlike Britain and Canada, which have already sanctioned Belarus
officials, the EU will not be imposing measures on Lukashenko himself.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0928 hrs