Dendias welcomes EU Foreign Council's condemnation of Turkey's 'illegal activities'

The EU addressed Turkey's behavior "clearly", Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias said on Monday, following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg.

"The EU spoke consistently and clearly, citing in a single voice shared European values and international law," Dendias said, referring to the Council's condemnation of what it called Turkey's "illegal activities", including drilling for hydrocarbons in Cyprus' EEZ, the bombing of NE Syria, its stance on migration, and other issues.

The Council "went a step further than earlier conclusions and decided on measures against individuals and legal entities, which is exactly what Cyprus was seeking," Dendias said, adding that "we are particularly happy about this." The EU, he pointed out, had "spoken clearly also about the issue of violations in relation to Cyprus' sovereignty and sovereign rights."

Internatonal law should always be the guiding rule, and when Turkey violates it there should be sanctions "so that everyone understands how nations ought to relate and exist with one another," the Greek minister said.

Asked whether the EU "abandoned the Kurdish people" like the United States did, Dendias rejected the idea the EU did so. "If someone looks at today's decision, Turkey was condemned, to use the same word the EU used." Asked why there was no decision to impose an embargo against the neighboring country, Dendias said, "an embargo is not a voluntary issue, it's a legal issue - it is referred to member states, and will be imposed by all states."

In its Monday meeting, the Council condemned Turkey's illegal drilling activities in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone in the eastern Mediterranean and its military action in Syria, among other issues.

(AMNA-MPA)