On Monday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Turkey’s behavior in the region was unacceptable. In a speech during the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee meeting, Maas stressed the importance of continuing dialogue with Turkey due to its strategic and major role in the migrant crisis.
The German minister confirmed that it is not acceptable to let Turkey seize control of Libya, noting that no one has any interest in turning Libya into a second Syria.
Mass’s comments came after the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss the strained relations with Turkey.
Notably, they warned Turkey on Monday of new punitive measures should Ankara not curb its actions in the eastern Mediterranean and beyond.
“We stress that the Turkish unilateral actions, in particular in the eastern Mediterranean, run counter to EU interests, the sovereign rights of EU member states, and to international law. These must come to an end” the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, told reporters after meeting with the EU ministers in Brussels.
Turkey was the primary focus at the first in-person meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council since the beginning of COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Tensions with Ankara have risen dramatically in recent weeks following confrontations in the Mediterranean Sea over oil and gas drilling, which the EU has declared a breach of territorial rights.
The war in Libya has also caused friction between the two sides, as well as within NATO.