EU ‘very clear’ on expectations from Turkey for de-escalation
The message, the expectations, the timeline and the consequences of not acting towards a de-escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean were “made clear” to Turkey, both via the informal Foreign Affairs Council last week in Berlin and in the telephone call on Monday between EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano.
“The EU was very clear in its solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and very clear as to what it expects from Turkey so that we can defuse and de-escalate the situation,” Stano told a press briefing in Brussels on Tuesday, noting that there is a great deal of non-public activity that is geared towards that goal.
“We hope our Turkish friends and partners will take this into account and start to act accordingly, so that we don't have to follow the alternative path of restrictive measures,” he added.
