Russian Lawmaker Says EU's Timing Of New Sanctions On Turkey 'Suspicious'

The European Union's sanctions on Turkey "suspiciously" coincide with the United States' plans to impose restrictions on Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, Konstantin Kosachev, the chair of the foreign committee of the Russian upper house, told Sputnik on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th July, 2019) The European Union's sanctions on Turkey "suspiciously" coincide with the United States' plans to impose restrictions on Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems, Konstantin Kosachev, the chair of the foreign committee of the Russian upper house, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Council of the European Union approved sanctions against Turkey over its decision to move ahead with hydrocarbon exploration in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone. The European Union intends to reduce its financial assistance for Turkey by 145.8 million Euros ($164 million) and suspend negotiations with Ankara on an aviation agreement.

"The European Union's sanctions coincide with Ankara's feud with Washington over the purchase of Russian [S-400] missile systems," Kosachev said, calling the coincidence "suspicious."

The senior lawmaker noted that while the EU-Turkey row over Cyprus' land and water rights was an old conflict, Brussels saw the US plans "as a green light to start pressuring Turkey" and not as a means of solving the problem.

Later on Tuesday, another Russian lawmaker, a member of the Russian lower house's international affairs committee, Sergei Zheleznyak, said it seemed that the EU issued sanctions against Turkey at the order of the United States.

"The EU sanctions against Turkey look like a political order, formulated by Washington," the lawmaker said, adding that Russia called on all sides of the Turkey-Cyprus conflict to show restraint and supported a constructive dialogue.

Zheleznyak added that the United States started pressuring the European Union after the first Russian S-400 missile systems entered Turkey last week.

The first batch of S-400 components arrived to Turkey on Friday. That same day, the US Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees advised that US President Donald Trump impose economic sanctions on Turkey.