DM Monitoring
ISTANBUL: Turkey and the European Union seem to be heading for a storm as the future of their relationship will be discussed next month, and analysts and diplomats recognize the discord as ties have endured many crises.
European leaders will discuss the future of EU-Turkey relationship at their summit in December, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said last Thursday.
“We agreed earlier to discuss the issue of Turkey at our next summit on Dec. 10,” Merkel said at a press conference following a video conference of EU leaders.
Her remarks followed those of the bloc’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, who said that the relationship between Brussels and Ankara is approaching a “watershed moment” because of differences on several issues.
“Turkey must understand its behavior is widening its separation with the EU,” Borrell also warned while the bloc has threatened to impose economic sanctions on Ankara at the leaders’ summit. Greece and Cyprus are pushing for sanctions against Turkey over maritime disputes in the Mediterranean, but the majority of EU members have been reluctant so far to take such action.
Analysts said there is still room for improvement until the summit, urging both parties to try to reach a sustainable dialogue to salvage a long-lasting relationship.
“Nobody believes sanctions will work in this context, but it is hard to rule out the possibility for the same,” foreign policy analyst Serkan Demirtas told media.
