President Anastasiades will ask for stronger support from the EU

EU leaders are expected to express “full solidarity with Cyprus and Greece” condemning Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean during a Brussels meeting on Thursday, according to a Bloomberg report.

A draft summit conclusion text was obtained by Bloomberg, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Wednesday, which outlines that EU leaders “strongly condemn Turkey’s continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea”.

The draft, as reported by Bloomberg, outlines that “recalling its conclusions of October 2014 and the Declaration of 21 September 2005, the European Council urgently calls on Turkey to cease these actions and respect the sovereign right of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources in accordance with EU and International Law.”

“In this context, it recalls Turkey’s obligation to respect International Law and good neighbourly relations, and normalise relations with all EU Member States including the Republic of Cyprus”, reads the text obtained by Bloomberg, dated March 21, 2018.

President Nicos Anastasiades is also set to inform president of the European Council Donald Tusk, on Turkey’s actions.

According to government sources cited by CNA, Anastasiades will ask for stronger support from the EU and a stronger intervention towards Turkey.

The same sources said that Anastasiades, who is in Brussels to attend the European Council meeting set to take place between March 22 and 23, will once again submit Cyprus’ positions, as he did in February, during the informal European Council.

The positions relate to the Republic’s sovereign rights, international law and the solidarity provisions in the EU treaties.

On Thursday, Anastasiades is expected to attend the European People’s Party Summit in Brussels and the EU summit. In the evening he will attend the working dinner of the EU heads of state and government, which will discuss the EU relations with Turkey.

Last month, a drill ship contracted by ENI to explore offshore Cyprus left the area, after Turkish warships blocked its path to its target in block 3 of Cyprus’ EEZ.