Community bloc gives Erdogan a wake-up call after he announced a pact with Putin that would turn Ankara into a Russian gas export center
The European Union (EU) yesterday issued a wake-up call to Turkey for its approaches to Moscow, after Ankara last week announced an agreement to redistribute Russian gas to third countries. In the context of the war in Ukraine, “and with repeated violations of international law, now is not the time to step up cooperation with Russia,” said Peter Stano, spokesman for European Foreign Affairs.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he has agreed with his counterpart Vladimir Putin that Turkey will become an exporter of Russian gas through the Turkstream infrastructure, the gas pipeline connecting the two countries. In addition, the leaders are in open negotiations to build a nuclear power plant on the Black Sea coast.
Since the start of the invasion, the EU bloc has formed a united front against the Kremlin and has urged partner countries to join the sanctions against Moscow. The message was specifically addressed to those candidates to join the EU, such as Ankara, which has been waiting for accession since 1999. However, the Turkish government is characterized by an ambiguous stance towards Russia and has not adopted any of the European restrictions against the country.
Tomorrow, Oliver Varhelyi, the bloc’s expansion commissioner, will travel to Ankara and discuss these matters with the Turkish authorities. Meanwhile, the United States has stepped up pressure on the country, ensuring that it cannot become a “sanctuary” for dealings with the Putin regime and evade Western sanctions.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
