Can EU sanctions threat cool Turkey’s moves in eastern Mediterranean?
EU leaders will gather on Sept. 24 to discuss sanctions on Turkey over its aggressive stance against Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, where despite its hawkish statements, Ankara may be backing down.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he does not believe the European Union will impose sanctions on Turkey for its dispute with Greece over territorial claims in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, hinting that should it do so, Turkey could unleash millions of migrants on Europe. “We made the decision not to prevent migrants from going to Europe and this decision is still valid,” Cavusoglu told the pro-government NTV news channel today.
Cavusoglu repeated Ankara’s claims that it was France, Greece and Greek Cyprus who were pushing for sanctions that are set to be weighed at a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers on Sept. 24-25 in Brussels. Cavusoglu said that Ankara had succeeded in making the EU see reason. “As we explained ourselves, EU members came to realize that we were right,” Cavusoglu claimed. Recent developments, however, suggest the opposite: that faced with the threat of EU sanctions and rumblings of discontent from Washington, it's Ankara that’s backing down.
The first signs of a perceived climbdown came over the weekend when the Turkish seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis, which had been exploring for hydrocarbons in waters claimed by Cyprus and Greece, sailed back to Antalya in southern Turkey. Cavusoglu had earlier said the ship would continue its mission beyond the Sept. 12 expiration of its Navtex, or navigational notice. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed the move. “The return of the Oruc Reis is a positive first step. I hope there will be continuity. We want to talk with Turkey, but in a climate with no provocations,” Mitsotakis told reporters on Sunday. “A sanctions lists exists as an option. Our desire is to not see it implemented, but it will be done if the other side is not returning to the path of logic,” he added.
Ankara swiftly denied that it had made any concessions to Greece, its NATO ally. Turkey’s Energy Ministry asserted in a statement that the vessel had returned for routine maintenance and that it would resume its activities. Cavusoglu echoed the rebuttals today. Yet he described Mitsotakis’ call for a talks as “a positive, moderate” step toward establishing dialogue.
