Greece on Friday called for European Union sanctions on Turkey amid lingering tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“I am waiting with great interest for Josep Borrell’s announcement on the options for sanctions on Turkey,” Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said of the EU’s foreign policy chief ahead of an informal meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Berlin.

“We consider this an absolute necessity in order to achieve a de-escalation in the Mediterranean,” he said.

However, Germany is reportedly concerned that imposing sanctions on Turkey would undermine efforts to reach an understanding with Ankara.

Many EU governments seem to believe that putting pressure on Turkey will only harden its stance, a source told Kathimerini.

“This makes it difficult to impose sanctions,” the source said.