EU Commission chief said ready to send ‘clear message’ to Ankara
The new president of the European Commission on Monday rapped Turkey for what she described as “unacceptable” behavior in the Aegean and said the EU executive is on Athens’ side in an escalating row with Ankara following its maritime borders deal with Libya, according to reports.
“We are on your side, Turkey’s action in the Aegean is unacceptable, we will send a clear message to Turkey,” Ursula von Der Leyen was reported by EurActiv as saying on Monday at a summit of parliamentary group chairmen of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP).
Also on Monday, Josep Borrell, the EU’s new chief diplomat, said that the Turkey-Libya deal “is a cause of serious concern.”
“We express our solidarity and our support to Greece and Cyprus,” he said during a press conference after the meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels.
Earlier, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias had called for the explicit condemnation of the maritime borders deal and the creation of a framework for sanctions if Turkey and the Libyan government in Tripoli persist.
