Tsipras says Turkish actions a sign of weakness, calls for EU sanctions if drilling confirmed

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says that Turkey's "provocation and flouting of International Law" in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are a sign of weakness and calls for EU sanctions against Turkey if it is confirmed that drillship Fatih has drilled for oil and national gas within Cyprus' EEZ.

Tsipras confirms he talked with Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades on the steps the two countries must take to present the case for sanctions at next week's European Council. He says the EU has repeatedly condemned Turkey's violations of international law and its repeated provocations.

The Prime Minister says that Greece's and Cyprus' international position has been greatly strengthened because of the regional alliances both countries have made in the Southeastern Mediterranean, and, in Greece's case, with the government finally ending the decades-long names dispute over...