Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, joined the European Commission in a report on Turkey ahead of the EU summit on March 25-26, which has been the subject of discussion in the Turkish media, ermenihaber reports.
The report states that negotiations are needed to establish deeper trade ties with Turkey, an EU candidate country.
Besides, it is stressed in the report that “in order to provide more financial assistance to Turkey to provide asylum to Syrian refugees, to lift the visa regime with EU, to establish high-level diplomatic relations, to join the extended customs union Turkey must respect human rights, be more flexible (make concessions) in the Cyprus issue on the rights of hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
The Turkish media labelled the text “full of blackmail”. Brussels has warned if official Ankara’s actions contradict to EU interests, economic sanctions will be imposed on Turkey.
The Turkish media assumes that the sanctions under discussion will be small-scale, and they will most likely affect only those in the energy and tourism sectors.
