BRUSSELS -- European Union leaders agreed early Friday to impose sanctions on dozens of senior officials in Belarus accused of falsifying presidential election results and leading a crackdown on peaceful protesters, after unblocking a veto against the move by one of the EU鈥檚 smallest member countries.
In an embarrassing standoff, Cyprus had insisted that its EU partners take action against Turkey for its energy exploration work in disputed waters off the Mediterranean island nation鈥檚 coast before it would agree to the Belarus sanctions.
But after several hours of talks into the night, the leaders agreed on a strong statement of support for Cyprus, as well as for Greece, and a stern warning to Turkey that it could face punitive measures if it continues the undersea drilling work.
鈥淲e have to decided today to implement the sanctions,鈥� European Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing the summit in Brussels. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to do what we decided a few weeks ago,鈥� and to send a signal that 鈥渨e are credible.鈥�
Michel said that a special written procedure would be launched on Friday to impose sanctions on about 40 Belarus officials.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko 鈥渋s not on the current list. But we will follow the developments,鈥� Michel said. The leader once dubbed Europe鈥檚 last dictator could be added to the list at a later date, should he refuse to enter into talks with the opposition, EU diplomats have said.
The political row has tarnished the EU鈥檚 image. It is also unusual in that all 27 EU member countries, including Cyprus, reject the result of the Aug. 9 election that returned Lukashenko to power for a sixth term. They all want a new election and agree that sanctions should be slapped on several officials.
Ahead of the summit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said 鈥渋t is bad that we cannot make it work.鈥�
鈥淎 link between Belarus and Turkey is political only, and has no explanation when we assess the facts,鈥� Rutte said. 鈥淲hat we need to achieve in the coming hours is a decoupling, while we have to recognize there are legitimate concerns about Turkey.鈥�
Throughout Thursday evening, the leaders debated what approach to take in the EU鈥檚 increasingly tense ties with Turkey over its drilling in the Mediterranean Sea, its roles in the conflicts in Libya and Syria, and as a sometimes troublesome source of migrants trying to reach Europe.
鈥淚t is now Turkey that has to prove that it wants to go the constructive road with us, and this is the offer tonight. But we are very clear that in the opposite case we have all necessary tools at our disposal,鈥� European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the meeting.
French President Emmanuel Macron was staunch in his support for his European partners, saying that 鈥渟olidarity is non-negotiable鈥� when it comes to Cyprus, but also to Greece in its long-running dispute with Turkey.
鈥淲hen a European Union member state is attacked, threatened, when its territorial waters are not respected, it鈥檚 the duty of Europeans to show their solidarity,鈥� Macron said.
As it turned out, Cyprus was making its stand at a summit that came on the 60th anniversary of its independence.
In a televised address to the nation, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed his 鈥渟incere gratitude to all European Union member states for their staunch support and solidarity in light of Turkey鈥檚 provocations.鈥�
But Anastasiades said he wanted the EU to take 鈥渁 more tangible and effective stance to bring about an end to gunboat diplomacy and for the crisis to be succeeded by dialogue or recourse to the international court on the basis of international law and the law of the sea.鈥�
Making the same point, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, 鈥渢he time has come for Europe to discuss with courage and honesty what kind of relationship it truly wants to have with Turkey. One thing is certain: Turkish provocation, whether this is expressed through unilateral actions or extreme rhetoric, can no longer be tolerated.
In Ankara, meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described his country鈥檚 operations in the eastern Mediterranean its most important 鈥渘aval struggle of the past few centuries.鈥�
During a speech in parliament, Erdogan said the EU had turned into an 鈥渋neffective, horizonless and shallow鈥� structure and become a 鈥渟lave to the conceit鈥� of Greece and Cyprus. However, he also said that Turkey is committed to resolving disputes through dialogue.
Raf Casert in Brussels, Elena Becatoros in Athens, Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus and Suzan Fraser in Ankara contributed to this report.
