European Commission spokesman Peter Stano said that the Turkish side was told what the EU’s expectations were in terms of finding a peaceful solution and how the EU sees the road towards de-escalation.
“The bottom line is to have the dialogue going, instead of unilateral actions which increase the tensions in the area among the neighbours and among the EU and Turkey as such,” said Stano.
“The ministers were very clear that they want to find a path towards a healthier relationship between the EU and Turkey to give a serious chance to dialogue. It is essential to stop unilateral actions, it is essential to stop exchanges of messages through the media, declarations and statements, that we are witnessing right now between Turkey and Greece for example,” he added.
Asked about Turkey’s threats towards Greece and Cyprus, Stano said it would not be productive to comment on the public declarations and statements and exchanges of “very strong words and unfortunate words”.
“The ministers were very determined on showing solidarity with its two affected member states Cyprus and Greece and they were very clear on their call to the Turkey’s authorities to end any unilateral activities which are escalating tension in the Mediterranean,” he said. If it was not possible to have a dialogue, and if there was no de-escalation, the appropriate measures would be taken.
The EU will use a carrot and stick policy to try and dissuade Turkey from carrying on its illegal drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, it said on Monday, only days after announcing that sanctions were being prepared in the event Ankara continued its activities in the region.
“As well as sticks (sanctions), there will be carrots too to get Ankara to engage seriously in dialogue. These carrots could be progress on a new customs union and more money for the refugee programme,” a European Commission spokesman told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Germany, which has been trying to defuse the tensions, also weighed on Monday, making it clear Ankara must end the provocations, foreign ministry spokesman Christopher Burger said.
“We need to give diplomacy a chance, but Turkey needs to fulfill the condition and end further provocations,” he said. Germany tried last week to defuse the situation in Athens and Ankara but to no avail.
“In recent days we tried to mediate, something we will also do in the coming days and weeks,” he added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had a telephone conversation with the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell late on Sunday. Borrell briefed Cavusoglu on the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers last week in Berlin where it was decided to draw up sanctions in time for the EU Council meeting on September 24, in case Turkey did not comply by then with calls to end its illegal drilling.
PS Even if Erdogan wants to de-escalate. it is quite difficult as he has set the bar much too high and would be eternaly exposed to his own people if he backs off.
Erdogan reminds me of a school room bully…and there is only one way to deal with them. They may have got Greece to back down years ago by threatening war but now the he situation is totally different and Greece can call their bluff. Turkey cannot afford to threaten war with Greece because it cannot win and they know it and if they did do the most stupid thing they would wallow in a broken economy and live to lick their wounds.
Erdogan thinks that he is in The Game of Thrones. He wants to be a caliph. If only we had Venizelos.