Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Against the background of aggravated disagreements on the number of regional issues between Turkey and the EU member states, the risks of introducing pan-European sanctions against Ankara are increasing. This is evidenced by the events that indicate a serious intention of the countries of the European Union to "punish" Turkey with economic restrictions.

First, on 26 November 2020, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU countries to maintain a unified position on the "illegal" actions of Turkey in Libya, Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean region, and to impose tough sanctions in response. 631 deputies voted for the document, only three parliamentarians opposed, 59 people. abstained. At the same time, the resolution is advisory in nature. A final decision on this issue is scheduled for December 10 of this year. at the EU leaders’ summit.

Secondly, on 24 November, another scandal erupted in European-Turkish relations: a German warship detained a Turkish merchant ship and searched it in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on suspicion of violating the arms embargo against Libya. In this context, it is noteworthy that Berlin, which traditionally occupies a more pro-Turkish position in the EU, unlike Paris, for the first time begins to openly act against Ankara. It was Germany in October of this year. blocked the introduction of anti-Turkish sanctions.

Experts regard such actions as another signal from European top officials addressed to Ankara about the need for a radical "rethinking" of their behavior, which, from their point of view, contradicts European values, interests, understanding of regional and global security. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult for Turkey to "reset" its relations with the EU.

On the whole, experts say, there is a high probability that Brussels will move from “verbal” resistance to practical steps in the confrontation with Ankara. At the same time, possible sanctions may affect the banking sector, energy and shipping, which can create additional problems for Turkey against the background of the difficult situation in the Turkish economy.