The European Union and Turkey have not made enough progress in improving relations, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
She noted that Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean, where the country is exploring for hydrocarbons in the waters of Greece and Cyprus, is a serious obstacle to improving bilateral relations with the EU, Kathimerini reported.
According to her, Turkey’s actions are very aggressive or even provocative.
Merkel welcomed Turkey’s announcement to withdraw its seismic research vessel to port ahead of the EU summit in mid-December. However, she noted that Turkey is still conducting seismic surveys off the coast of Cyprus.
EU leaders will discuss possible sanctions on Turkey at a summit scheduled to start on December 10.
