EU imposes sanctions against Turkish shipping company Avrasiya

(Patria) – The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions against a Turkish shipping company for alleged violation of the UN arms embargo on Libya, whose ship was involved in a naval incident between France and Turkey in June.

The freezing of assets of Avrasya Shipping, which operates the cargo ship Cirkin accused of smuggling weapons into Libya, will likely anger official Ankara, which denies allegations of arms smuggling and claims the ship was carrying humanitarian aid, Reuters writes.

- Cirkin is linked to the transport of military material to Libya in May and June 2020, according to the Official Journal of the EU, which published the news of the sanctions.

The EU otherwise has a naval mission concerning the implementation of the UN Security Council embargo on armaments for Libya.

In an incident that occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean on June 10, a French frigate on a NATO mission attempted to inspect the cargo ship Cirkin. The French Ministry of Armed Forces claims in a report that Turkish ships escorting the cargo ship then attacked the frigate. The Turkish ship turned on its radar lights while the crew put on bulletproof vests and stood behind light weapons, the same source stated.  

Official Ankara rejected the French version of the situation and in turn accused the French navy of aggression.

NATO has launched an investigation whose results will not be made public, Reuters learns.

In addition to the Turkish company, the EU has also imposed sanctions against two Libyans – Mahmoud al-Werfalli, whom the EU claims is a commander from eastern Libya directly responsible for the murder of 33 people and the mass extermination of the population. The second is Moussa Diab, whom the EU accuses of human trafficking, rape, and murder of refugees.

Sanctions have also been imposed against two more companies – Sigma Airlines from Kazakhstan and Med Wave Shipping from Jordan.