EU draft statement on Turkey sanctions ‘disappointing,’ says Erdoğan aide

The Turkish presidential spokesman on Wednesday called the European Union’s draft statement regarding the imposition of sanctions on Ankara “disappointing,’’ and said the planned measures would not work and be counterproductive in the long run.

Ankara wished to achieve a positive atmosphere with the EU, but the bloc is “surrendering” to the interests of some of its members,Yeni Şafak newspaper cited İbrahim Kalın as saying during a videoconference in a German Marshall Fund of the United States event.

Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters reported that the European Union would add more Turkish companies and individuals responsible for drilling in contested waters in the Mediterranean to a sanctions list drawn up last year, citing a draft statement prepared for EU leaders.

The EU will “prepare additional listings” based on the existing list, Reuters said. If need be, it will work on the extension of its scope, according to the statement, which the EU’s political leadership will consider on Thursday.

The heads of EU member states will decide this week whether to carry out a threat made at an October summit to sanction Turkey for sending seismic research ships into waters off the coast of Greek islands and Cyprus.

Any EU sanctions would not be a concern for Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday.

“Officially, since 1963, the EU has already been implementing sanctions on us continuously. The EU has never been honest and never stood behind its promises. But, we’ve always been patient,” Erdoğan said, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.

Draft EU texts are typically drawn up by ambassadors and other representatives of member states before being considered by EU leaders for possible amendment and approval.