On Thursday, the French State Secretary for European Affairs, Clément Beaune said the European Union should stand firm against Turkey and impose sanctions on it.
“There must be signs of momentum in the near term. We will see if sanctions will be imposed,” Beaune said during an interview with France 2 TV.
EU leaders meet in Brussels, to discuss the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, warned Ankara that “all options are on the table.” This is in order to defend EU interests, should Turkey not take a “constructive” approach to resolving the current disputes.
“Our objective is to create a space for a constructive dialogue with Turkey to achieve stability and security in the whole region, to ensure full respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all EU member states.” Michel said. “This will only be possible if Turkey engages constructively. All options remain on the table to defend the legitimate interests of the EU, and its member states.”
Greece, a member of the EU and NATO, is currently contesting sovereignty over eastern Mediterranean waters potentially rich in natural gas with Turkey. Tensions escalated between the two countries at the end of August, with each conducting naval exercises.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron asked his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to commit “unequivocally” to stopping the escalation with Greece and Cyprus.