The European Union is eyeing long promised punitive measures against Turkey for its illegal military incursion into northern Syria, as well as its unauthorized natural gas drilling off Cyprus’ coast. Germany’s Deutsche Welle reported on Saturday the EU has moved to cut pre-accession aid to Turkey by 75 percent, citing a letter sent to the European Parliament by the EU foreign affairs commissioner. The Instrument for ‘Pre-Accession Assistance’ (IPA) is offered in support of reforms in countries in the process of joining the EU, despite previously planned ‘fast-tracked’ talks for Turkey to join the European bloc stalling significantly after 2016. However, the EU quickly distanced itself the report, which appears to have originated with a leaked draft EU letter: An EU spokesman on Sunday denied media reports from the previous day that claimed the bloc had agreed to massive new cuts to pre-accession aid to Turkey. Germany’s Funke Media […]