European leaders intend to discuss the option of imposing sanctions on Turkey for violating the arms embargo in Libya and its exploratory operations in the eastern Mediterranean and in Cyprus, especially since the European Parliament voted two days ago on a resolution calling for the European Union to impose sanctions on Turkey over Varosha.
Greece also called on the European Union to send a “strict message” to Turkey that its actions have gone beyond the borders and are categorically rejected, stressing the need to reach an agreement by imposing sanctions on Turkey, while the EU countries are still divided in this regard.
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper said: “A week after the Turkish ship’s crisis, which German soldiers tried to inspect on suspicion of transporting weapons to Libya, it does not seem that the crisis will end soon, especially after it became clear, according to German reports, that the European Union has evidence that the ship was carrying weapons, via satellite images.
The paper added that it seems that the suspicion of this particular ship dates back to an earlier time, as it is believed that the Turkish ship “Rosaelin A” transported military equipment in the past to Libya.
As for the “Der Spiegel” website, it indicated that the satellite images showed the unloading of military armored vehicles in the port of Misurata, and they also showed the ship in the Turkish port of “Ambarli” in November, showing the loading of “suspicious vehicles” on board, forcing the mission of “IRINI” of the European Union, designated to monitor the arms embargo to Libya, to take a decision to inspect it.
Although Turkey later accused Germany of carrying out an “unacceptable harassment”; the European Union confirmed that it had sufficient evidence to support the need to implement the inspection process.
German media quoted European officials as suspicious of the ship, and they subjected it to surveillance, pointing out that it has moved between the ports of Turkey and Libya, since the beginning of this year, eight times.
A secret European document revealed that the UN arms embargo experts prepared a report talking about the suspicion that the Turkish ship was transporting weapons to Libya.
The German news agency reported that the confidential report assesses the first six months of Operation IRINI.
European sources pointed out that the EU countries are preparing new sanctions targeting those who violate the UN arms embargo on Libya, in reference to Turkey.
Last September, the European Union imposed sanctions on three companies from Turkey, Kazakhstan and Jordan, accusing them of transporting weapons to Libya, while European diplomats believe that the mere refusal of Ankara to the inspection of the ship creates suspicion that it is carrying prohibited military equipment.
