Paris hints at new sanctions against Ankara after banning Turkish 'Grey Wolves'
France is considering new sanctions against Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's “declarations of violence” as tensions wind further between the NATO allies.
France hinted Thursday at new sanctions against Turkey over what it called “declarations of violence” by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an escalating row between the two NATO allies over Islam, the Eastern Mediterranean, Syria, Libya and more recently the South Caucasus.
“There are now declarations of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by President Erdogan which are unacceptable,” France’s Foreign Minister Yves le Drian told Europe 1 radio in an interview. “It is not only France that is targeted, there is total Europe-wide solidarity on the subject — we want Turkey to renounce this logic,” he said.
“An agenda of possible sanctions” will be on the table when the EU Council holds its next summit in December unless Turkey modifies its behavior, he warned.
EU sanctions would be crippling for Turkey’s economy, which is already beset by a melting currency, rising inflation and joblessness and a growing COVID-19 problem.
