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The European Union Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced that the Turkish role in both Libya and Syria does not respond to the security interests of the Union, calling on Ankara to reconsider its policies.
Borrell said in a statement, on Friday, that “tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey were among the biggest challenges facing the European Union in 2020, and that the situation will likely continue as such in 2021.”
He stressed that “it is clear that the European Union will not be able to achieve stability on the European continent if it is not able to find a correct balance in its relations with Turkey.”
He pointed to the deterioration of relations between Brussels and Ankara in recent years, the lack of any progress in the negotiations on Turkey’s accession to the European Union, in addition to the failure of negotiations on the Cyprus issue.
He added, “The Turkish role in the regions from East and North Africa to the Western Balkans continued to strengthen. Especially the active and unilateral Turkish role in both Syria and Libya was seen more and more as not responding to the security interests of the European Union as a whole nor with the understandings reached among its members.” “.
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Borrell also expressed his concern about the agreement between Turkey and the Government of National Accord in Libya, and the subsequent Turkish exploration work, which has become a “direct challenge” to Greece and Cyprus.
He stressed that these actions “created a very negative atmosphere and hindered the activation of the positive agenda.”
He added that “all this raises fundamental questions about the goals that Turkey seeks,” especially given that Turkey is a candidate country to join the European Union.
Borrell said, “There is no doubt that we must make more progress in conducting a frank and deep dialogue with Turkey on these issues, and for Turkey to provide its responses,” stressing that “the opportunity to change the course of relations between us still exists,” and that the European Union “extends its hand” To Turkey, I hope that it will respond to it.
Source: RT
