EU Leaders May Discuss Sanctions Against Turkey

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has announced that EU leaders may discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions against Turkey due to Ankara's actions in the Eastern Mediterranean during their meeting in December, according to RIA Novosti.

Earlier, the European Union extended the duration of the individual sanctions regime for illegal drilling in Cyprus's territorial waters in the Eastern Mediterranean by one year (until November 12, 2021).

Relations between Athens and Ankara have sharply deteriorated recently. This is due to the fact that the Turkish ship Oruc Reis was conducting seismic research in an area of the Eastern Mediterranean that Greece considers its exclusive economic zone. Greece’s armed forces were placed on heightened alert.

Turkey was also conducting research in an area that Cyprus claims as its exclusive economic zone. After Ankara withdrew the Oruc Reis research vessel and military ships from the Eastern Mediterranean, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on September 22 that it had reached an agreement to restore exploratory contacts with Turkey, which had been suspended since 2016. The 61st round of these contacts is expected to take place soon.