EU blasts Turkey over Greek airspace violations, threats in enlargement report
The EU’s executive on Wednesday criticised Turkey over its continuous violation of Greek airspace and threats to the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus in its annual enlargement report.
“After some positive developments in 2021, relations with the EU deteriorated in the first half of 2022, due to repeated violations of Greek airspace by Turkish fighter jets in the Aegean and threatening Turkish statements regarding the sovereignty of Greek islands, and against Cyprus,” the report says.
The Commission also cautioned Ankara over its military exercises in the maritime zones of Cyprus, and the illegal obstruction of survey activities in the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by Turkish warships.
“Despite international condemnation, Turkey continued with its plan to open the fenced-off area of Varosha. Tensions in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean were not conducive to good neighbourly relations and undermined regional stability and security,” it said.
The Commission report also expressed “serious concerns on the continued deterioration of democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and the independence of the judiciary” in Turkey. “There was further backsliding in many areas. Concerns increased over economic governance and the good functioning of the market economy.”
Ankara applied for membership in 1987, received candidate status in 1999, and had to wait until 2005 to start talks for actual entry.
Presenting the draft report to a European Parliament committee, Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi also noted that the EU executive arm recommends that candidate status be granted to Bosnia-Herzegovina, pending a slew of commitments for fundamental reform.
