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MEOG POLICY MEOG

EU renews pressure on Turkey over East Med

TURKEY TURKEY has come under renewed pressure Turkey, an official candidate for EU member-
from EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell for ship – though its application has essentially
better behaviour over policy disputes in the east- been frozen for the past two to three years given
ern Mediterranean. actions of the Erdogan administration which
“We consider the recent actions and state- many eurocrats and MEPs see as intolerable and
ments by Turkey related to Cyprus contrary contrary to core values of the bloc – was seen as
to the United Nations resolutions and further issuing rhetoric on Cyprus that was aggravating
igniting tensions,” Borrell told a news confer- tensions with the European Union.
ence after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
November 19, referring to disagreements over called for an equal “two-state” solution in Cyprus
the island divided between Turkish Cypriots and during a visit earlier this week to the breakaway
Greek Cypriots. Turkish Cypriot north of the island.
He added: “We consider that it is important Erdogan also said that Turkey and Northern
that Turkey understands that its behaviour is Cyprus would no longer tolerate what he called
widening its separation from the EU ... In order “diplomacy games” in the international dispute
to return to a positive agenda, as we wish, will over rights to offshore resources in the eastern
require a fundamental change of attitude on the Mediterranean.
Turkish side.” Cyprus has been split along ethnic lines since
“Time is running, and we are approaching a a Turkish invasion in 1974 sparked by a brief
watershed moment in our relationship with Tur- Greek-inspired coup. Only Ankara recognises
key,” Borrell added. Northern Cyprus as an independent state.
Europe may be attempting to pressure Tur-
key at a time when there is a sense that Erdogan, Visit “provocative and illegal”
who has suffered a blow with the defeat of fellow Cyprus, a member of the EU, called Erdogan’s
populist Donald Trump in the US presidential visit to the breakaway north “provocative and
election and is well aware that US President-elect illegal”. The EU has failed to persuade Ankara to
Joe Biden has described him as an “autocrat”, is cease exploring in waters disputed by Greece and
falling on to the back foot and may be ready to Cyprus, but has so far stopped short of imposing
make concessions in foreign policy disputes and sanctions on Turkey requested by Athens and
domestic human rights issues. Nicosia.
Germany has led diplomatic talks with
Merkel adds to pressure Ankara, stating that dialogue should be given a
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also stepped chance, partly because of close EU-Turkey trade
up pressure on Ankara. European Union leaders ties. Germany is Turkey’s biggest trade partner.
will discuss Turkey’s aggressive pursuit of natural France has become embroiled in several wars
gas exploration in contested waters in the eastern of words with Turkey in recent months, with
Mediterranean at their next summit in Decem- Paris also objecting to Turkish moves in the Lib-
ber, and following a meeting of EU leaders, she yan, Syrian and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts
told reporters: “Things haven’t developed the and rowing with Ankara over freedom of expres-
way we would have wished.” sion issues in relation to Muslim communities
In further comments, Borrell said that in Europe.™
The exclusive
econoomic zones
(EEZs) claimed by the
Republic of Cyprus and
the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus.

Week 47 25•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P9