If Turkey continues with its unilateral actions against Cyprus, in violation of existing UN Security Council resolutions, then there will be a reaction, a community source in Brussels said, noting that Nicosia "has no better ally than Brussels".
According to the same source, there is no "two measures and two weights" with regard to the EU's reaction towards Cyprus and Ukraine, two countries that are victims of illegal invasion by third countries. At the same time, he said the Union's foreign policy was determined by unanimity and a decision on a tougher stance towards Erdogan would have to come as a result of an agreement by the 27 member states as a whole.
With regard to the sanctions imposed by the EU on persons and entities for illegal drilling around Cyprus, he said it was the result of the unanimity of the 27 and the ability to convince other partners of the Cypriot arguments.
It is up to the ability of a country, the ability of its experts and diplomats to convince others, as this is how the EU works, he said.
He also said that EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borel is fully aware and expresses himself quite openly in relation to Turkey and is of the opinion that "we need to be tougher with Turkey."
He said that other partners believe that it is more beneficial to have more Turkish involvement and that the conflict would be worse.
Increasingly we will see the EU acting more decisively against those who do not respect rules, who act intimidatingly towards their neighbours and violate international law, the source said, saying that it would take a unanimity of the 27 to decide that the only way to deal with people like Putin or Erdogan is "very forcefully", which he said was not the case at this stage.
As for theTurkish president, the EU source said that - barring his electoral defeat - one day all member states will realise that you have to "speak the language of power" with him and "slap him down" because that is the only language he understands.
However, he assessed that the cases of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the Russian invasion of Ukraine cannot be compared, as there is now an EU of 27 member states, while in the case of Ukraine the aggressor is a country that is a member of the UN Security Council "for no reason" as he said.
The only comparison, in the assessment of the EU source, is that it is a completely unjustified illegal invasion in both cases.
He also assessed that Turkey is not very likely to attack Greece, an EU and NATO member state, as that would be the end of NATO.
On Ukraine, the same source noted that the EU will continue to provide support as long as necessary as it is a matter of principle and it is in the Union's vital interest to ensure that Ukraine does not succumb.
Otherwise, he said, the rules-based world order, which provides protection to smaller countries such as Cyprus, would be destroyed.
As for managing the consequences of Ukraine for the 27, the same source said the Union always finds solutions, as with the economic crisis in the past. The price we are paying now is very small compared to the price paid by the Ukrainians and to what we will have to pay if Russia wins, he assessed.
Whatever the consequences, we will be able to deal with them as together we are stronger, he said.
He also said that EU financial support to Ukraine until next year will total 40 billion euros, while combined EU and member state military assistance is estimated at 8-10 billion euros, he said.
Source: CNA
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