EU to Discuss Sanctions, Turkey’s NATO Membership, France Says

(Bloomberg) -- Sanctions against Turkey will be debated next week at the European Union leaders’ meeting, France’s EU affairs minister Amelie de Montchalin said.

Foreign Ministers have a scheduled debate on Turkey when they meet in Luxembourg on Monday. EU leaders will gather in Brussels on Oct. 17.

“This will obviously be debated at the EU Council next week,” said Montchalin when asked about possible EU sanctions against Turkey. “Our condemnation is firm, but not just in words. You can imagine that we are not going to stick to words around the table,” she said, adding that “all the talks” will take place next week, when asked whether Turkey’s NATO membership should be suspended. She spoke on France Inter radio.

“Obviously this is on the table. You can imagine that we are not going to stay powerless in the face of a situation that is totally and absolutely shocking for civilians, shocking for Syrian forces that have been backing the work of the coalition for the past five past years. It’s shocking for the stability of the region,” she added, when asked about sanctions

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Nikos Chrysoloras

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