Turkey has threatened it will retaliate if the European Union imposes sanctions on the country, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday, during a joint press conference with Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice of the Commission.
“We’ll have to respond if the EU makes additional decisions against Turkey and this will create a bigger tension,” Çavuşoglu said.
“If you do so then we can take certain steps in eastern Mediterranean or other areas,” the FM added.
Cavusoglu also accused Brussels of not respecting its obligations regarding the migration agreement of March 2016.
“I know that the EU does not like it but visa liberalization is a commitment made by the EU, so you have to fulfill your commitment, whether you like it or not,” Çavuşoglu said.
Turkey expects Brussels to mediate fairly the country’s relations with Cyprus, France and Greece, the FM said urging ““if the EU wants to be a mediator, we’ll support this when it comes to Cyprus issue or other issues as long as the EU is and acts as an honest broker.”
Borrell acknowledged that EU-Turkey relations are rocky and said that he went to Turkey “to look for de-escalation.”
He described the mutual relations as “far from being ideal.”
Honest discussions today with @MevlutCavusoglu and @tchulusiakar on key issues affecting EU-Turkey relations. Current situation is far from being ideal. We need dialogue to avoid further tensions. I will discuss the way forward at @Europarl_EN and with Member States at next #FAC pic.twitter.com/yx7Qy03BWd
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 6, 2020
Cavusoglu tagged Borrell making Turkey’s position again clear:
📌Wish to improve our relations w/EU in every field,
📌EU should not uphold political but objective criteria,
📌Should be part of the solution not the problem,
📌Should not let our relations be taken hostage,
📌In case of measures against us, will reciprocate.@JosepBorrellF pic.twitter.com/pXewMVff6P— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) July 6, 2020
The small present handed out to Borrell during the presser is not possible to sanitize the current EU-Turkey relations.
WATCH: The moment when Turkey’s Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu gives EU Foreign Policy Chief Borrell a present during their press conference in Ankara today: It’s a hand sanitizer in a fancy box – and it’s called 'Borel'. 😳🦠 #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/cukWOUYmE7
— Julia Hahn (@juliahahntv) July 6, 2020
PS A kick in the a** of Turkey’s “diplomacy” could work miracles – Excuse my language…
No need to apologize, your language describes the situation perfectly. Weaponizing migrants and pushing them towards the Greek border during a global pandemic, claiming the hydrocarbons off the coast of Cyprus and Crete as their own, not to mention the incendiary provocation of converting Agia Sophia into a mosque, and now Erdogan has the nerve to threaten the EU if they respond with more sanctions? A lesser close would have been an understatement on your part.
The need to apologize spans along a long time period from Treaty of Rome to today. EU cheated the Turks hundreds of times on important issues like customs union, double taxation, free movement of goods and people, border security, fishing rights, natural resources rights, tourism, fair trade, transportation permits, trade certifications, legal reciprocity issues, terrorism isues, issues with Armenia, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, and lately Syria. Turks look after nearly 4 million refugees from all over ME and Asia. EU is a club with many sins brushed under the carpet.
nobody cheated Turks because they refuse to comply with EU rules and in the end Ankara does not even want to be part of the bloc for its own “security reasons.” That’s the issue since ages.