European Council President Charles Michel gives a press conference at the end of the two days face-to-face European Union summit at the European Council Building in Brussels, on October 16, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

BRUSSELS - European Union leaders regret Turkey’s decision to send a natural gas exploration ship to contested waters in the Mediterranean, the bloc’s chairman said on Friday, reiterating that the EU would consider its options in December.

“We plan a summit in December. And we have planned, indeed, to tackle again and to assess the situation in the eastern Mediterranean and in Turkey,” European Council President Charles Michel told a news conference after an EU summit in Brussels.

 The EU has so far failed to persuade Ankara to stop exploring in waters disputed by Greece and Cyprus

“We deplore the unilateral actions and provocations by Turkey,” Michel said.

During the summit, Greece and Cyprus pushed for a tougher European Union response to Turkey’s natural gas exploration but were essentially told to hold off until December.

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Two weeks after their last summit where leaders discussed economic sanctions, the EU has so far failed to persuade Ankara to stop exploring in waters disputed by Greece and Cyprus.

Turkey said on Wednesday it was restarting operations of a survey ship that it withdrew last month.

France and Germany said earlier this week that Turkey had only “weeks” to revise its stance and stop what they also said were provocations, but declined to give a strong ultimatum as Athens and Nicosia would like.

EU leaders had agreed on Oct 2 to give Turkey until early December before considering economic sanctions and Germany

EU leaders had agreed on Oct 2 to give Turkey until early December before considering economic sanctions and Germany, which has so far led diplomatic talks with Ankara, wants to give dialogue a chance because of close EU-Turkey trade ties.

Cyprus is frustrated that, in addition to the Turkish exploration ship off a Greek island, Turkey has sent another vessel to Cyprus’s economic zone to conduct seismic surveys.

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EU member Cyprus is also furious that Turkish Cypriot authorities have partially reopened the beach town of Varosha, a former resort area fenced off and abandoned in no-man’s land since a 1974 Turkish invasion that split the island.

“Turkey remains consistent in its provocative and aggressive behaviour,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday in Brussels.