Turkey criticises EU sanctions over Libya arms embargo

EU foreign ministers agree to impose sanctions on one Turkish, one Kazakh and one Jordanian company

Turkey lashed out at the EU's decision to sanction one of its shipping companies for allegedly breaching a UN arms embargo on Libya. Reuters

Turkey on Monday lashed out at an EU decision to impose sanctions on one of its companies for allegedly breaching a UN arms embargo on Libya.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry claimed the timing of "such a wrong decision" was unfortunate because efforts were being made to ease tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The sanctions have no value, the ministry said.

EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on three companies – one Turkish, one Kazakh and one Jordanian – on Monday during a meeting in Brussels, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The move froze the assets of Turkey's Avrasya Shipping, whose cargo vessel Cirkin was involved in a naval incident between Nato members France and Turkey in June.

The EU accused the company of using the ship to smuggle weapons to Libya. Ankara denies the claim and says the ship was carrying humanitarian aid.

Ankara has supported the Government of National Accord in Tripoli. Eastern Libya and much of the south, however, is controlled by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army.

The EU also imposed sanctions on two Libyan men, Kazakhstan's Sigma Airlines and Jordan's Med Wave Shipping.

Turkey may also face EU sanctions because of a dispute with Greece and Cyprus over ownership of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, although tensions between Ankara and Athens have declined in recent days.