Turkey rejects 'unlawful attitude' of EU leaders summit

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Friday slammed a declaration by the European Union Leaders Summit calling it "biased and unlawful".

Turkey's Foreign Ministry in a statement said: "We reject the biased and unlawful attitude toward [Northern] Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and regional issues in particular, which we know that the majority of the EU does not adopt, but had to be put into December 10 EU Summit Conclusions due to solidarism and veto pressure."

The declaration passed on Thursday condemned the opening of part of the city of Maras, also known in Greek as Varosha, and argued that UN Security Council resolutions should be respected.

The ministry further stated that the EU through its decision "once again ignored Turkish Cypriot people and their will".

"It is a disgrace for EU that Greece pushes migrants back to the Aegean Sea and Frontex is an accomplice," added the statement.

EU leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday for two days of discussions on the EU budget and COVID-19 as well as transatlantic ties and relations with Turkey.

The summit also signaled that the EU may increase pressure on Ankara in the coming weeks, by including additional individuals from Turkey’s energy sector to a sanctions regime, which was created in November 2019.

The leaders instructed relevant European bodies to prepare “additional listings” in light of recent tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Currently only two executives of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation are subject to these sanctions, which consist of assets freeze and a travel ban to the European Union.

Turkey, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, has rejected maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration and stressed that these excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.

Ankara has sent several drill ships in recent months to explore for energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, asserting its rights in the region as well as those of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Turkish leaders have repeatedly stressed that Ankara is in favor of resolving all outstanding problems in the region through international law, good neighborly relations, dialogue and negotiations.