The European Union is ready to impose sanctions on more Turkish individuals and companies responsible for exploration in the disputed waters of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Cyprus and Greece – the relevant project EU leaders will consider at the summit on Thursday, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today accused the EU that he had never acted honestly towards his country, and said that Ankara does not care about the prospect of imposing economic sanctions. He expressed his intention to “continue to defend Turkey’s rights in the eastern Mediterranean” and said Turkey “will not be subject to threats and blackmail” – but also called for dialogue among stakeholders.

Charles Michel, chair of the EU summits, warned Turkey about playing cat-and-mouse with the withdrawal of ships from the disputed zone before the EU summits and their re-deployment. Let us recall that before the October meeting of EU leaders, the Turkish ship Oruc Reis was recalled “for maintenance,” and then Ankara returned it, citing the poor results of the summit.