EU Sanctions Turkish Officials for Illegal Offshore Drilling

The European Council sanctioned two Turkish officials for Turkey’s illegal drilling activities (see 2001210021) in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to a Feb. 27 news release. The officials, Mehmet Ferruh Akalin and Ali Coscum Namoglu, head the state-controlled Turkish Petroleum Corporation and are responsible for the illegal “offshore hydrocarbon exploration activities,” the EU said.