Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/275 of 27 February 2020 amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey's unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean
Date: 2020-02-27
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Cyprus, EU restrictive measure, Mediterranean region (EU), Türkiye, drilling, economic sanctions, exclusive economic zone, international sanctions, natural person








LI2020056EN.01000501.xml










27.2.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


LI 56/5








            COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2020/275
of 27 February 2020
         
amending Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey's unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,


Having regard to the proposal of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 11 November 2019, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 (1) concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey's unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.












(2)


On 12 December 2019, the European Council recalled its previous conclusions on Turkey of 22 March and 20 June 2019. It reconfirmed its conclusions of 17-18 October 2019 concerning Turkey's illegal drilling activities in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone and unequivocally reaffirmed its solidarity with Cyprus.












(3)


In this context, and in the light of Turkey's continued unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean, two persons should be included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894.












(4)


The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 should be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
The Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 27 February 2020.


For the Council


The President

D. HORVAT
            





(1)  Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894 of 11 November 2019 concerning restrictive measures in view of Turkey's unauthorised drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean (OJ L 291, 12.11.2019, p. 47).




ANNEX
The following persons are added to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies set out in the Annex to Decision (CFSP) 2019/1894:









 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘1.


Mehmet Ferruh AKALIN


Date of birth: 9.12.1960
Passport No or ID: 13571379758
Nationality: Turkish
Gender: male


Mehmet Ferruh Akalin is Vice-President (Assistant General Manager) and member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). He is the head of TPAO's Exploration, R&D Centre and Information Technologies Departments.
In his capacity as TPAO Vice-President and head of its Exploration Department, Mehmet Ferruh Akalin is responsible for planning, directing and implementing TPAO's offshore hydrocarbon exploration activities. These include TPAO's drilling activities which have not been authorised by the Republic of Cyprus, as set out below.
Those unauthorised drilling activities were carried out by:






(a)


the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in the territorial sea of the Republic of Cyprus between July and September 2019;










(b)


the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in an area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations and delimited in an agreement with Egypt, between October 2019 and January 2020;










(c)


the TPAO drilling vessel Fatih in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations, in close proximity to its territorial sea, since November 2019;










(d)


the TPAO drilling vessel Fatih in a western area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations, between May and November 2019.




TPAO has also announced further planned drilling activities to be carried out, without the authorisation of the Republic of Cyprus, by the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in an area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations and delimited in agreements with Egypt and Israel, between January and May 2020.


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2.


Ali Coscun NAMOGLU


Date of birth: 27.11.1956
Passport No or ID: 11096919534
Nationality: Turkish
Gender: male


Ali Coscun Namoglu is the Deputy Director of the Exploration Department of the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO).
In this capacity, Ali Coscun Namoglu is involved in planning, directing and implementing TPAO's offshore hydrocarbon exploration activities. These include TPAO's drilling activities which have not been authorised by Republic of Cyprus as set out below.
Those unauthorised drilling activities were carried out by:






(a)


the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in the territorial sea of the Republic of Cyprus between July and September 2019;










(b)


the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in an area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations and delimited in an agreement with Egypt, between October 2019 and January 2020;










(c)


the TPAO drilling vessel Fatih in the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations, in close proximity to its territorial sea, since November 2019;










(d)


the TPAO drilling vessel Fatih in a western area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations, between May and November 2019.




TPAO has also announced further planned drilling activities to be carried out, without the authorisation of the Republic of Cyprus, by the TPAO drilling vessel Yavuz in an area of the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus notified by it to the United Nations and delimited in agreements with Egypt and Israel, between January and May 2020.


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