Dendias: Sanctions against Turkey have been drawn up

The Greek Foreign Minister revealed on Twitter that the European Union has already “drawn up a list of sanctions” that could be implemented against Turkey.

“The EU has drawn up a list of sanctions that will be brought to the attention of the Council and whether these sanctions will be implemented depends on Turkey’s behavior. I always hope we do not have to get to this point,” he said.

The comments came after his meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, Slovenian President Borut Pahor, as well as the Chairs of the Slovenian Parliament’s Foreign and European Affairs Committee.

After thanking Slovenian Foreign Minister Ange Logar for his country’s aid towards the migrant crisis, Dendias said “We had the opportunity to discuss the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the movements and Turkish policies that undermine regional stability, both in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Libya, Syria and Iraq.”

“Turkey has withdrawn its research vessel and warships from the Greek continental shelf. This is a positive signal, but we need to make sure that Turkey understands this approach,” the Greek Foreign Minister said in the series of tweets.

Dendias then emphasised that Greek is always ready for dialogue but that it cannot be “under the regime of pressure and blackmail.”

“For a dialogue in the context of International Law and International Maritime Law, on the issue on which we have a difference, namely the Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf,” he said.

Moving away from Turkey, Dendias said that “Greece wants Slovenia, a country with a strategic position between Central Europe and the Balkans, with an exit to the Mediterranean, to become a member of the MED 7 initiative. I hope to be in Ljubljana next time to talk about MED 8.”

The MED7 is a bloc of seven Southern European Union member states, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain, who mostly recently met on 10 September 2020 in Porticcio, Corsica,  to discuss Turkish aggression against Greece and Cyprus.