The EU should very seriously consider adopting economic measures and sanctions against Turkey, Jürgen Trittin, a representative of the German Green Party told Khatimerini.

An influential official in one of the country's ruling parties stresses that the West needs to make Turkey understand that it needs Europe and NATO, whose interests it regularly undermines.

"Turkey regularly undermines the common interests of the EU and NATO. It undermines the sanctions policy against Russia, acts against international law in Syria, prevents the control of the UN arms embargo against Libya and violates the sovereign rights of Greece, a NATO ally and EU member. President Erdogan is solely concerned with his domestic political advantage and ignores Alliance interests. However, since there are no sanction mechanisms within NATO, nor is it possible to expel a member, the EU must very seriously consider taking economic measures and sanctioning Turkey. Turkey needs the European market and it needs the alliance with NATO. This must be made very clear to it," he said.