EU preparing to impose long-term sanctions against Turkey

Duvar English 

European Council Vice President Margaritis Schinas on Dec. 5 said that the European Union is preparing to impose medium and long-term sanctions against Turkey. 

Speaking ahead of an upcoming bloc summit, Schinas said that Turkey "did everything wrong" and that it will face consequences as a result. 

"Turkey did everything wrong. It did everything it can to confront not only Europe but everyone. This has consequences," BBC's Turkish service cited Schinas as telling Skai TV in an interview. 

Saying that sanctions against Turkey will be on the table during the EU summit on Dec. 10-11, Schinas noted that the sanctions will not be short-term only. 

"These sanctions will be medium and long term. Turkey's relations with the EU and the United States will be re-evaluated," he said. 

Commenting on the tensions between Greece and Turkey, Schinas said, "It's a great diplomatic achievement for Greece to take the issue of Turkey to the level of Turkey-EU relations from Turkey-Greece level." 

Relations between Ankara and the EU have been strained over a number of issues, stemming from its drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks against his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

EU leaders will meet on Dec. 11-12 to discuss the sanctions, with France leading a push in the bloc to sanction Turkey. Paris has yet to draw up sanctions, but diplomats say any measures would likely target areas of Turkey's economy linked to hydrocarbon exploration.

Erdoğan says he hopes France will get rid of Macron 'burden' soon

Erdoğan on Dec. 4 said that he hoped France would soon get rid of Macron, describing him as a burden on France which was going through dangerous times.

Ties between Turkey and France, both NATO members, have been particularly tense in recent months over policy differences on Syria and the publishing of caricatures about Prophet Mohammad in France.

"Macron is a burden on France. Macron and France are going through a very dangerous period actually," Erdoğan told reporters, referring to protests in French cities. "My hope is that France gets rid of the Macron trouble as soon as possible."

Ankara and Paris have also traded accusations over their roles in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. France says Turkey fueled fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but populated by ethnic Armenians.

Turkey has said France, a co-chair of the Minsk group formed to mediate the issue, was not objective. Erdoğan said on Friday that Paris' status as a mediator was "no more" due to its support for Armenia and slammed a French Senate resolution this week urging that Nagorno-Karabakh be recognized as a republic.

"[Azeri President] Ilham Aliyev had some advice for the French. What did he say? 'If they love Armenians so much, then they should give Marseilles to the Armenians'. I am making the same recommendation. If they love them so much, they should give Marseilles to the Armenians," he said.