Eastern Mediterranean: Turkey must immediately end illegal drilling activities. [ Ссылка ] #eudebates #Turkey #Dialogue [ Ссылка ] #heritage #debates #HagiaSophia #Migration #Borrell #Turkey #Ankara #Erdogan
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All eyes on US, Germany, France, Greece and EU meetings over Turkey
Jaak Madison (ID). – Mr President, yesterday evening we all got an email from the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs to our mailing list with some explanations and proof of its rights. In the last sentence of the letter, they say, ‘As a candidate country, we expect the EU and the European Parliament to maintain an equal distance to the parties.’
First of all, I think 99% of this House agrees on one thing today: Turkey will never be part of the EU, part of Europe. Our histories are too different. Our religions are too different. Our ideologies are too different. That’s why I have a question for Mr Borrell. As you have seen today, we all agree on one thing. For how much longer will we give the Turkish side the opportunity to say ‘as a candidate country’? Just take it away. It stops. We know very well that at least Greece, France, Estonia and many other countries will never accept the idea of Turkey in the EU. We will never accept spending our taxpayers’ money and billions on Turkey while it supports mosques and radical Islam in the EU. Can you say when it will be possible to say it is no longer a candidate country of the EU?
[ Ссылка ] #eudebates #Libya #Turkey #ArmsEmbargo #NATO #War #LibyaWar [ Ссылка ] [ Ссылка ] #eudebates
MEPs condemn Turkey’s actions in the Greek and Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone and express full solidarity with the two member states.
MEPs voiced their concern regarding the ongoing dispute and the related risk of further military escalation between EU member states and an EU candidate country
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Ahead of a Special European Council meeting on 24/25 September on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, MEPs express their full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus, in a resolution adopted by 601 votes in favour, 57 against and 36 abstentions.
Stating that the EU is clear and determined in defending its interests, MEPs call on Turkey to immediately end any further illegal exploration and drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, to refrain from violating Greek airspace and Greek and Cypriot territorial waters and stop “nationalistic warmongering rhetoric”
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Deteriorating state of EU-Turkey relations
A solution can only be found through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, MEPs say, calling on all actors involved, especially Turkey, to commit to an urgent de-escalation by withdrawing their military forces from the area. They welcomed Turkey’s decision to withdraw one of its seismic research vessels from the area on 12 September as the first step towards easing tensions, condemning at the same time Turkey’s plans to extend the term of duty of another drilling ship.
MEPs express serious concern about the current state of EU-Turkey relations, which are being seriously affected by the dire human rights situation in Turkey and the erosion of democracy and rule of law.
Further sanctions are not excluded
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They call for both Turkey and the member states to support the political dialogue in Libya and to adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the UNSC. MEPs deplore the negative impact that current Turkish foreign policy and other actions in the Mediterranean are having on the stability of the region, including Syria.
Insisting that further sanctions can only be avoided through dialogue, they call on the Council to stand ready to develop further restrictive measures that should be sectoral and targeted and would not have an adverse impact on the people of Turkey or the refugees residing there
In the last few months, tensions have been mounting over Turkey’s increased gas exploration activities in the area within the Greek and Cypriot exclusive economic zone. In the meantime, Greece and Turkey have put their militaries on high alert and have sent warships into the area. Prior to Tuesday’s debate, MEPs discussed Turkey’s problematic role in the region with the High Representative Josep Borrell in Plenary in July.
