Turkey dismisses EU's sanction threat as bias and illegal
Turkey's Foreign Ministry is calling on the EU to act "with principles, strategically and with reason" when it comes to the the eastern Mediterranean dispute.
Turkey rejects the European Union's "biased and illegal" approach at its summit this week and calls on the bloc to act as an honest broker in an ongoing dispute in the eastern Mediterranean.
EU leaders agreed on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus, postponing any harsher steps until March as countries sparred over how to handle Ankara.
In a statement on Friday, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said a proposed conference with all eastern Mediterranean countries was an opportunity to tackle maritime issues in the region, adding that Ankara was ready for talks with Greece without any pre-conditions.
It called on the EU to act "with principles, strategically and with reason".
EU declaration
EU early Friday morning said it was considering imposing sanctions on Turkish individuals and companies in light of Turkey's activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
As the EU Leaders Summit in Brussels continued, the union shared the relevant part of the final declaration on Turkey on Friday as they reached a consensus after long hours of negotiations.
The declaration claims that Turkey engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU.
Turkey dismisses EU's sanction threat as bias and illegal
"Our rights must be granted. There are now many rights that EU member states must grant Turkey," Turkish President Erdogan said on Friday.
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