IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu made a statement on EU Foreign Affairs Council’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey. Indicating that the decision was a continuation of the EU's earlier mistakes on the Cyprus issue, IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu stressed that the only solution was to accept the rights and legitimate actions of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Chairman Zeytinoğlu continued as follows:

“The EU Council has made a decision that will strain the relations with Turkey. It is an indisputable fact that not only Greek Cypriots, but also Turkish Cypriots have rights over the island’s natural resources. In addition, Turkey's sovereign rights arising from its territorial waters and continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean must be recognised by the EU. Without taking these two issues into consideration, it is not possible for the EU to play a positive role on the Cyprus hydrocarbon exploration issue. ”

Chairman Zeytinoğlu emphasised the negative impact the EU’s narrow-minded and one-sided approach has on regional stability:

“The EU has committed the gravest mistake by admitting the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus as the sole representative of the Island despite its rejection of the Annan Plan. Moreover, the EU has failed to deliver on its promises to end the isolation of the TRNC. The Cyprus question continues to constitute a problem in numerous areas namely; Turkey’s EU accession negotiations, the modernisation of the Customs Union and visa liberalisation. In essence, the decision to impose sanctions on Turkey is a continuation of these mistakes. Resolving the Cyprus question and the hydrocarbon exploration issue through dialogue can only be possible if the EU acknowledges this mistake and recognises Turkey’s position as a guarantor state as well as the rights of the TRNC.”

“Sanctions essentially harm the EU”

Lastly, IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu said that the EU would actually damage its own interests by imposing sanctions on Turkey and concluded his remarks as follows:

“The Council in its conclusions, has decided to not to hold further high-level dialogue and Association Council meetings, to reduce 2020 pre-accession funding earmarked for Turkey, to review the European Investment Bank's (EIB) loans to Turkey and to suspend negotiations on the  Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement. Such a decision, which would further diminish the already strained opportunities for dialogue and cooperation with Turkey, would harm the EU more than Turkey. The aim of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) is to facilitate the candidate country's alignment with the EU. Similarly, EIB loans aim to contribute to EU’s prosperity and stability by strengthening infrastructure in Turkey. In other words, the EU is not only compromising its principles and values with these sanctions, but it is also damaging the cooperation and investment opportunities in the region in the long term.  The European Commission has emphasised on its website that Turkey is a very important aviation partner for the EU and that Istanbul has become a hub especially in terms of passenger traffic. In this sense, the suspension of the negotiations for the Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement will adversely affect the EU and its citizens.”