Sabre rattling by Ankara directed at Nicosia and Athens – EU Commission answer

EN
E-003122/2022
Answer given by Mr Várhelyi
on behalf of the European Commission
(3.11.2022)

The EU has repeatedly stated, most recently in its 24 June 2022 Council Conclusions¹ that Türkiye must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States. Recalling its previous conclusions and the statement of 25 March 2021², the European Council stated that it expects Türkiye to fully respect international law, to de-escalate tensions in the interest of regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, and to promote good neighbourly relations in a sustainable way.

As also stressed in the Commission’s 2022 Türkiye Report³, Türkiye must avoid threats and actions that damage good neighbourly relations and instead respect the sovereignty of all Member States over their territorial sea and airspace as well as all their sovereign rights; this includes inter alia the right to explore and exploit natural resources, in accordance with EU and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea⁴.

In March 2021, the members of the European Council reaffirmed the determination of the EU to use the instruments and options at its disposal to defend its interests and those of its Member States as well as to uphold regional stability in case of unilateral actions in breach of international law by Türkiye⁵. In their joint Communication of March 2021⁶, the Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy laid down the possible political and economic consequences for Türkiye if it were to renew unilateral actions or provocations in breach of international law, aimed at causing prejudice to the interests of the EU and its Member States.

1 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/57442/2022-06-2324-euco-conclusions-en.pdf
2 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/48976/250321-vtc-euco-statement-en.pdf
3 https://neighbourhood-enlargement.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-10/Türkiye%20Report%202022.pdf
4 https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf
5 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/48976/250321-vtc-euco-statement-en.pdf
6 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2133b382-8b21-11eb-b85c-01aa75ed71a1

Source: Answer to a written question – Sabre rattling by Ankara directed at Nicosia and Athens – E-003122/2022(ASW)