European Union leaders will today consider diplomatic and economic incentives to encourage Turkey to continue improving ties with the EU and promote stability, but warn that they will be watching Ankara’s moves until June.
Relations with Ankara will be discussed today at a video summit of the 27 EU countries after an alarming raise in tensions over Turkey’s gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean in 2020.
European Council President Charles Michel, said the bloc want to step up "engagement with Turkey in a phased, conditional and reversible manner" but all options are on the table and Turkey will be put somehow “under surveillance” until June.
An initial copy of the draft conclusions for the summit seen by AFP contained however a raft of incentives to convince Erdogan to make good on warming ties.
US President Joe Biden will also attend the meeting for a message to the Turkish President.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during talks at NATO said that "our dispute with Turkey is not a secret."
However, the US, like the EU, refuses to cut ties with Ankara. Blinken reminded that Turkey is a long time partner in the NATO alliance and added that "there are great benefits for it to remain within NATO."
