EU ready to take further action against Turkey if no dialogue

Ajjaccio (Reuters) – The European Union is ready to take further restrictive measures against Turkey if Ankara refuses to engage in a dialogue to ease tensions that flared up after the country sent a survey vessel to map out possible oil and gas drilling in territory also claimed by EU member Greece.

In a statement published on Thursday, the Mediterranean littoral members of the EU, gathered for their seventh summit in Corsica, France, said they reiterated their “full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece in the face of the repeated infringements on their sovereignty (…) as well as confrontational actions by Turkey”.

“We maintain that in the absence of progress in engaging Turkey into a dialogue and unless it ends its unilateral activities, the EU is ready to develop a list of further restrictive measures that could be discussed at the European Council of Sept 24-25.”.