Sunday

1st Oct 2023

Michel: Special EU summit on Turkey in September

  • Greek and Turkish warships recently collided in the Eastern Mediterranean. The EU will hold a special summit on the issue in September. (Photo: nato.int)

"We have the intention to hold a special European summit to set out a strong and united strategy on the relationship between the EU and Turkey", European Council president Charles Michel said on Wednesday (19 July) during a press conference.

Greece and Cyprus had hoped that this topic would have been discussed during the special summit on Wednesday, but all attention went to the situation in Belarus instead.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

However, according to Greece and Cyprus, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean is no less precarious, as tensions with Turkey are building up.

A Greek and a Turkish warship collided on 12 August. Both sides said it was an accident, but it increased fears of a military conflict between the two states.

The collision happened when Turkish warships escorted a Turkish survey ship to examine the possibility for drilling for oil and gas in the area between Cyprus and Crete, prompting Greek warships to shadow them.

In an interview with US broadcaster CNN, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Turkey to "stop the provocations" and return to the negotiating table in order to resolve disagreements regarding the delimitation of maritime zones.

"We cannot tolerate is unilateral activity by Turkey claiming what we consider to be Greek exclusive economic zone and for Turkey to challenge this premise to send not only an exploration ship but also a significant number of military vessels to the area," Mitsotakis said.

"We should sit and discuss as civilised neighbours and if cannot resolve this issue the two of us we can always take it to the international court and have the court decide on our behalf", he added.

Mitsotakis referred to a recent agreement with Egypt for the demarcation of exclusive economic zones, as "a blueprint" for other accords in the region.

Turkey had earlier slammed the "so-called agreement" between Greece and Egypt on an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Turkish foreign ministry declared the deal "null and void", adding that Greece and Egypt had no mutual sea border.

Larger picture

Meanwhile, the latest dispute is part of a wider conflict.

Turkey has been drilling for gas off the coast of northern Cyprus, a Turkish-controlled breakaway republic, despite multiple warnings and condemnations from the EU.

Ankara recently also made an agreement with the Libyan authorities in Tripoli giving Turkey exclusive rights to drill for oil and gas off the Libyan coast.

The fact Turkey has supported the UN-backed government of Libya, led by prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj, infuriated France and Egypt, who are backing the other side in the civil war there.

That is why it is probably no surprise that Egypt made an agreement with Greece and that France is the most vocal supporter of sanctions against Turkey.

Turkey, from its side, expressed its frustration with the EU.

Enlargement negotiations between Turkey and the EU have stalled and the migration pact of 2016 has not been implemented from the European side, at least in the eyes of the Turkish government.

Recently, Faruk Kaymakçı, Turkey's deputy foreign minister and director of EU affairs, said that he thinks "the main problem is that Turkey is being estranged from the EU."

Even though Turkey is an important member of Nato, talks on the situation in the eastern Mediterranean will be difficult.

A package of sanctions on Turkey have already been discussed by the EU ambassadors.

Potential measures include suspending EU-Turkey political talks and technical talks on issues such as energy and transport, as well as similar bilateral talks between EU capitals and Ankara.

They also include cuts in EU aid to for Turkish reforms and curtailing European Investment Bank (EIB) lending.

According to Michel, at the special summit in September, which will be a physical meeting, "all options will be on the table".

France and Turkey fracture Nato on Libya

Nato is to investigate French allegations that Turkish warships targeted a French one in a confrontation over the Libya conflict, which has divided allies.

Opinion

Turkey's smart game: keeping the EU divided

After a little over a year in Brussels as an MEP, and closely following the EU's foreign affairs, it astonishes me how ineffective the European Union leverages its power on the world stage.

Opinion

Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war

While Belarus has not sent its own troops to fight Russia's war in Ukraine, the Minsk dictatorship has been heavily involved. As a result, Belarus must be punished for its involvement — what can the world do to sanction Belarus?

Latest News

  1. EU women promised new dawn under anti-violence pact
  2. Three steps EU can take to halt Azerbaijan's mafia-style bullying
  3. Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war
  4. Added-value for Russia diamond ban, as G7 and EU prepare sanctions
  5. EU states to agree on asylum crisis bill, say EU officials
  6. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  7. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  8. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us