Turkey vows to retaliate if EU imposes new sanctions

ANKARA - Turkey on Monday vowed to retaliate the European Union if the bloc decides to impose new sanctions on Turkey due to disagreement over the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Taking decisions against Turkey will not resolve the existing problems, on the contrary, it will deepen them. If the EU takes additional measures against Turkey, we'll have to respond," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at a joint press conference with Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

"If EU further sanctions Turkey, we also have steps to take in the field, in the Eastern Mediterranean," the minister stated.

"EU should better be part of the solution instead of part of the problem," he added.

Borrell, for his part, said the current ties between Turkey and the EU are far from being idealistic and there are "immediate and serious problems" that need to be addressed.

"We have to change the dynamic of our relationship. We have to follow a more positive track so that we can avoid additional problems," he said.

France has called for an EU meeting to discuss further sanctions on Turkey due to the dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and Libya.

Turkey signed military cooperation and maritime memoranda of understanding in November last year with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord of Libya led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.