France has set red lines with Turkey in East Med, says Macron

13:15 29/8/2020 - Πηγή: Armynow

French President Emmanuel Macron said he had taken a tough stance over the summer to set red lines over Turkey’s actions in the eastern Mediterranean because Ankara only respects words when they are followed by actions.

“When it comes to Mediterranean sovereignty, I have to be consistent in deeds and words. I can tell you that the Turks only consider and respect

that,” Reuters cited Macron as saying on Friday.

“What France did this summer was important: it’s a red line policy,” he said.

Tensions between Turkey and France have escalated recently with Paris backing Greece in its dispute with Turkey over the rights to hydrocarbon resources in the area, based on conflicting claims over the extent of their continental shelves.

France this week joined military exercises with Italy, Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean as the dispute between Turkey and Greece escalated after Ankara sent its Oruç Reis survey vessel to disputed waters on Aug. 10.

Macron has repeatedly demanded further EU sanctions against Turkey. “I don’t consider that in recent years Turkey’s strategy is the strategy of a NATO ally…when you have a country which attacks the exclusive economic zones or the sovereignty of two members of the European Union,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish navy is set to hold gunnery exercises involving live fire off the coast of its southeastern Iskenderun province on Sept. 1 and 2, as announced from the southern Antalya NAVTEX station on Thursday.

“Today’s announcement is about planned activities for gunnery training for our naval forces,” Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters in a later press briefing. “We have repeatedly stated that we are determined, zealous and competent to defend our rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and we continue our efforts within this framework.”

Referring to France’s plans for further military exercises in the Mediterranean, following last week’s joint drills with Greece, Cyprus and Italy, Akar said, “They say they will hold drills. Let them. Our borders are clearly defined.”

On Wednesday, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced the joint drills as she spoke against Turkey in a series of tweets, saying the eastern Mediterranean “should not be a playground for the ambitions of some.”

The statements by “our French counterpart the lady,” cannot be understood “within the context of the law, intelligence, logic, they are unfathomable,” Akar said, while praising NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for “approaching the matter objectively.”

Stoltenberg had been calling for dialogue for a resolution in the eastern Mediterranean, and negotiations for the enforcement of the arms embargo on Libya.

Akar said Turkey has drawn its line in the sand and the rules it demands from the beginning. “If you violate these, if there is a violation, it is clear what we will do. But we have said fifty times that we do not want that.”

Dialogue must be the principal method, Akar said. “Otherwise, undesirable events could occur.” Akar said he would be “happy to host our Greek counterparts if they make a decision in the coming days.”

Greece called Ankara’s statement on dialogue “only a pretext”.

“It is once again proven who wants de-escalation and who doesn’t,” a Greek Foreign Ministry source told daily Kathimerini.

(Updated with French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks).

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