EU sanctions over Turkish drilling in Cypriot EEZ extended

The Council of the EU renewed its restrictive measures imposed in 2019 for an additional year in view of Turkey’s unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

As stated in a press release by the Council of the EU, the restrictive measures have been renewed until November 30 2024.

The sanctions include an asset freeze for listed persons and entities, and EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds or economic resources available to those listed.

In addition, a travel ban to or through the European Union applies to those sanctioned.

Currently, two individuals are listed.

They are Mehmet Ferruh Akalın, the vice president of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) and head of its Exploration Department, and Ali Coscun Namoglu, deputy director of the Exploration Department of TPAO.

Through this decision, the EU maintains its ability to impose targeted restrictive measures on persons or entities responsible for or involved in unauthorised drilling activities of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus and Greece).

Restrictive measures are imposed based on a decision adopted by the Council on November 11 2019, as a follow-up to the Council’s conclusions of October 14 2019, which the European Council endorsed on 17-18 October 2019.