French President Emmanuel Macron said that his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is pursuing an expansionary policy that mixes national and Islamic principles that is not consistent with European interests, and represents a factor destabilising Europe.
Macron added, in an interview with Paris Match, that “Europe must confront these matters head-on and assume its responsibility.”
“I am not for military escalation, but in parallel, I do not believe in weak diplomacy. We have sent a signal through our actions that European solidarity is meaningful and important,” he said.
The interview was published hours before the upcoming meeting between Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Bregancon Fort, which is the summer residence of the presidency in south-eastern France.
Relations between Turkey and the European Union have deteriorated in recent months, as Ankara is committing numerous violations in the eastern Mediterranean causing anger among many countries.
On Wednesday, the Turkish president pledged not to yield to international pressure and stressed his country would continue to explore for energy sources in the disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
Macron highlighted in the interview that “France represents a mediating power,” explaining his relationship with his Turkish counterpart.
“I am one of the few European leaders who welcomed Erdogan in recent years, in Paris in January 2018. I have been criticized by a lot for that. He is without a doubt one of the leaders with whom I spent the most time talking,” he said.
“I went to see him again in September 2018 in Istanbul. I received an invitation to hold a joint summit between France, Germany, and Britain with Turkey in London in December 2019,”Macron added.
Last week, Turkey accused France of acting like a “thug” in the eastern Mediterranean and issued a stern warning to Greece after Paris deployed two military planes and two warships in the eastern Mediterranean to support Athens.