It is time to act and even consider imposing sanctions on Turkey, the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP) Manfred Weber said on Thursday, speaking at a special session of the European Parliament on Thursday to discuss the conclusions of the recent EU summit.
Regarding the situation in the Mediterranean, he referred to “Turkey’s military actions, the decisions on Hagia Sophia, which is an example of religious chauvinism, that such a symbol and monument of peace and reconciliation is now changed.”
Weber also stressed that “it is not just a Greek-Turkish or Cypriot-Turkish issue, it is European-Turkish issue,” adding that “we would like to emphasise in the presence of Mr. Michel and Mrs von der Leyen that we have to give clear messages and that we stand on the side of the Greeks and the Cypriots.”
In conclusion, Weber said that the channels of communication and dialogue remain open, but the time has come to act now, also to consider sanctions against Turkey. “We have to act and we have to act now,” he said.
Source: ANA-MPA