EU to toughen sanctions on Turkish drilling, draft summit statement says

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 2, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union will sanction more Turkish individuals and companies responsible for drilling in contested waters in the Mediterranean, according to a draft statement prepared for EU leaders to agree at a summit on Thursday.

If agreed, the EU will “prepare additional listings” on the basis of a sanctions list already in place since 2019 and “if need be work on the extension” of its scope, according to the draft statement seen by Reuters.

EU leaders are considering whether to make good on a threat made in October to sanction Turkey over the drilling for hydrocarbons off the coast of Cyprus and off Greece.

Reporting by Robin Emmott; editing by Philip Blenkinsop

source: reuters.com