Turkey, eastern Mediterranean and southern neighbourhood
Parliament calls on the European Council to maintain its unified position on Turkey’s illegal actions and impose tough sanctions in response. As Turkey moves further away from European values and standards, EU-Turkey relations are at a historic low, warns Parliament. MEPs call on Turkey to refrain from proceeding with any unilateral activities, such as illegal exploratory drilling or military actions in the Eastern Mediterranean infringe on the sovereignty of EU member states Greece and Cyprus. MEPs also highlight Turkey’s direct support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as its actions in Libya and Syria.
Turkey’s decision to “open” the sealed-off suburb of Varosha undermines prospects of a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem, warn MEPs in a resolution. MEPs call on Turkey to transfer Varosha to its lawful inhabitants under the temporary administration of the UN, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 550 (1984). A sustainable solution to reunify the island of Cyprus and its people can only be found through dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiations, MEPs stress.
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