The foreign ministers of EU countries will discuss "all aspects" of the crisis in Syria caused by the Turkish military operation in Syria on Monday in Luxembourg. The issue will also be addressed later in the week at the EU summit of heads of government in Brussels.
The 28 member states unexpectedly adopted a "crystal clear" stance on Wednesday evening. This means that Turkey must immediately stop the operation and that there is only a political solution to the conflict in Syria. Furthermore, the Turkish action threatens the fight against ISIS.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan wants the EU to swallow its criticism of the Turkish operation in Syria. If the EU labels the Turkish action as an occupation, he threatens to allow Syrian refugees currently in Turkey to move to Europe. An estimated 3.6 million Syrians who fled the war in their country live in Turkey.
The Dutch cabinet does not rule out sanctions against Turkey following that country's invasion of northern Syria, Minister Sigrid Kaag said in the House of Representatives. However, she wants this to happen in an allied context.
The cabinet also supports a parliamentary call to urgently convene the NATO council about the actions of NATO ally Turkey. Kaag (Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) was standing in the House for Minister of Foreign Affairs Stef Blok, who is abroad.
The Netherlands does not want to suspend military cooperation with Turkey "at this moment." The approach is "step by step," Kaag explained. She is hesitant to go further at this stage because the situation is still unclear and can change rapidly. Additionally, not all NATO partners' positions are yet clear.
Furthermore, the rules for arms exports to Turkey will be slightly tightened. The export of military equipment to Turkey is already subject to very strict requirements.