EU member states united on Monday to condemn Turkey's offensive in Syria but stopped short of imposing an arms embargo, while opening the way to sanctions over Ankara's controversial drilling off Cyprus.
"The EU condemns Turkey's military action which seriously undermines the stability and the security of the whole region," the bloc said in a joint statement at a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
The bloc noted the decision made by some members -- including France and Germany -- to halt weapons exports to Turkey but did not impose an EU-wide embargo.
Instead, the ministers agreed that EU member countries should pay close regard to their existing common policy on arms exports, which includes a provision that they should not be approved where there they may "contribute to regional instability".
Separately, the ministers gave the go-ahead to creating the legal framework for sanctions over Turkey's exploratory drilling for oil and gas off the coast of Cyprus.
"In light of Turkey's continued illegal drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, the Council reaffirms its full solidarity with Cyprus," the EU Council said in a statement.
"The Council... agrees that a framework regime of restrictive measures targeting natural and legal persons responsible for or involved in the illegal drilling activity of hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean is put in place.
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