On Tuesday 16 July, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the measures taken the previous day by the EU Foreign Affairs Council against it in response to its illegal drilling activities in Cypriot waters (see EUROPE 12293/11).
“The EU's bias in taking decisions against Turkey [...] is ineffective, unrealistic and unconstructive behaviour”, the ministry said in a statement. According to it, the EU should rather “encourage the two parties on the island to unite with regard to hydrocarbon resources”.
Ignoring European threats of additional measures, the Ministry warned that the conclusions adopted by the EU Council “will in no way affect Turkey's determination to pursue its hydrocarbon activities in the Eastern Mediterranean”. Ankara will continue to protect “with determination its own rights and those of Turkish Cypriots and will continue to strengthen its activities to this end”, the Ministry insisted, before judging that “the EU, which has not kept its promises to Turkish Cypriots since 26 April 2004, has nothing to say in this respect”.
On Monday, the EU took action, as requested by the General Affairs Council on 18 June (see EUROPE 12277/7) and the European Council on 21 June (see EUROPE 12279/3). Recalling that Turkey's illegal actions had “serious and immediate negative effects on the whole range of EU-Turkey relations”, Foreign Ministers agreed not to hold “for the time being” meetings of the Association Council or other meetings in the framework of high-level dialogues. In addition, negotiations on the Global Air Transport Agreement are suspended. “The Council endorses the Commission's proposal to reduce pre-accession assistance to Turkey for 2020”, which will remain at the 2019 level of around €248.7 million. Ministers also invite the European Investment Bank to review its lending activities to Turkey, in particular with regard to sovereign asset-backed loans.
The Council, in its conclusions, also warned that the matter remained before it and invited the High Representative and the Commission “to continue work on options for targeted measures in light of Turkey’s continued drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Council will closely monitor developments and will revert to this issue as appropriate”, the conclusions add.
The Ministers reiterated their call to Ankara to refrain from such actions, to act in a spirit of good neighbourliness and to respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with international law.
Although the Turkish Ministry considered it “revealing” that European decisions were taken on the anniversary of the “heinous” attempted coup d'état, the EU Council's conclusions were only published in the evening, in order not to interfere with the commemorations.
See the Council conclusions: https://bit.ly/2Y7qNk2 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)