By Robin Emmott
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union should start negotiations on deeper trade ties with Turkey, an EU candidate, but should be ready to impose economic sanctions if Ankara moves against the bloc’s interests, according to an internal report sent to member states.
The report, seen by Reuters and dated March 20, said Turkey had disregarded almost all EU foreign policy decisions in 2020, but said that it remained an important partner and should have a broader customs union with the 27-nation bloc.
“Strengthening our already substantial economic ties is another win-win situation for both sides …. At the heart of this would be the modernisation and expansion of the scope of the current EU-Turkey Customs Union,” said the report by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell and the European Commission.
A sliding scale of economic sanctions, to be used only as leverage, could include punitive measures on individuals, moving up towards important sectors such as energy and tourism, said the report, prepared for an EU summit on Thursday and Friday.
“Should Turkey not move forward constructively in developing a genuine partnership with the EU, it should be made clear that this would bear political and economic consequences,” it said.
“We should foresee smart, scalable yet reversible restrictive measures, building on those in place,” the report said, referring to travel bans and asset freezes imposed on two Turkish citizens over disputed hydrocarbon drilling in the eastern Mediterranean.
(Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by John Chalmers and Gareth Jones)
