EU extends sanctions against Turkey for drilling in the Mediterranean

The Council of the European Union extended sanctions against Turkey for illegal drilling off the coast of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean for a year, until November 12, 2023, according to a press release on the website of the Council.

Two Turkish nationals are currently under sanctions, their names have not been released. They are forbidden to enter EU countries and their assets are frozen. EU citizens and companies are also banned from transferring funds to them.

The conflict arose in 2019 over offshore exploration in an area of the sea shelf that Cyprus and Greece consider part of their exclusive economic zones. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that his country has the right to develop the shelf, and claimed that he would not retreat even under threat of restrictive measures from the European Union. The EU expressed solidarity with the position of Greece and Cyprus, after which it imposed sanctions on Turkey.

Restrictive measures are constantly reviewed and updated if the EU Council believes its goals have not been met, the EU Council said.