BRUSSELS – A very important expectation of the European Union is that Turkey respects the sovereignty of EU member-states and engages in solving all open issues in a spirit of good neighbourly relations, with respect for international law, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano stressed on Tuesday.

Stano was replying to questions regarding the summoning of the Greek ambassador to Ankara on an issue wholly rejected by the Greek side, and on Turkey’s behaviour toward Greece. While declining to comment on the summoning of the ambassador, which he said was an issue between the two states, Stano said that on the issue of Turkish actions and rhetoric in general, “I can only reiterate the solidarity of the EU with Greece”.

“Greece is a member-state of the EU and the EU and its member-states have formulated very clearly a number of European Council conclusions, its expectations of Turkey to de-escalate, to be engaged in constructive de-escalation in order to advance the mutually beneficial constructive cooperation not only with Greece but with the EU as a whole. We expect that Turkey would cease threatening rhetorics and with steps that are not really conducive for de-escalation. This is the very well established position of the EU and its member-states because the recent actions, provocations, rhetoric [are] contradicting the much-needed de-escalation. And what is very important and a very important expectation of the EU and its member-states is that Turkey respect the sovereignty of member-states of the EU and that Turkey engages in solving all the open issues in the spirit of good neighbourly relations, with full respect for the international law,” Stano said.

(ANA/ E. Zarkadoula)