French State Secretary for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin stated Friday that EU sanctions against Turkey over its military operation in northern Syria were on the table.
"It will be debated next week at the European council," de Montchalin said on France Inter radio. We will not remain powerless when faced with a situation that is shocking for civilians, the free Syrian forces and the stability of the region," she said.
On 9 October, Turkey launched a military operation in Northern Syria against Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organisation, and its armed wing: the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara claims that the offensive is aimed at clearing the border area of terrorists and creating a security zone.
Commenting on the operation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that Daesh* will not resurface in the area following the Turkish offensive.
Following the start of the operation, Finland decided to cancel military exports to Turkey though Ankara has become Helsinki's major defence partners.
Norway later followed Finland's suit stating that it wouldn't process any new applications for export licenses for military and multi-use military products to Turkey and review the extant ones.
Sweden, in its turn, has suggested halting defence exports to Turkey at the EU level.
*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.