EU suspends talks with Turkey over East Mediterranean drilling

Brussels: The EU Foreign Affairs Council announced its decision to suspend negotiations with Turkey on a range of issues over Ankara's offshore oil and gas exploration activities in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The council said in a statement, "In light of Turkey’s continued and new illegal drilling activities, the Council decides to suspend negotiations on the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement and agrees not to hold the Association Council and further meetings of the EU-Turkey high-level dialogues for the time being.

"The council endorses the Commission’s proposal to reduce the pre-accession assistance to Turkey for 2020 and invites the European Investment Bank to review its lending activities in Turkey, notably with regard to sovereign-backed lending."

Turkey condemned the decision.

In a press release, Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated the move would "in no way affect Turkey's determination to continue its hydrocarbon activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"These conclusions demonstrate how prejudiced and biased the EU is with regard to Cyprus as they make no reference to the Turkish Cypriots, who have equal rights over the natural resources of the Island, in total disregard of their existence in Cyprus.

"EU’s preference for taking decisions against Turkey, rather than making use of this opportunity and encouraging the two sides to come together on the Island with regard to the hydrocarbon resources, is an ineffective, unrealistic and unconstructive behaviour," the press release added.