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ANKARA, KOMPAS.com – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned French President Emanuel Macron not to mess with Turkey.
Erdogan’s warning was issued on Saturday (12/09/2020) amid tensions with Greece AFP.
“Don’t mess with the Turkish people. Don’t mess with the Turks,” Erdogan said in a speech broadcast on state television on the 40th anniversary of the 1980 military coup.
Earlier, Macron strongly condemned Turkey amid its impasse with Greece and Cyprus.
Macron also condemned Turkey for its claim of the discovery of large oil reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
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Erdogan urged Greece to “stay away from irregularities” supported by countries like France in the disputed waters.
Last month, the Turkish and Greek navies trained each other in these waters. France responded to this by increasing its military presence in the region.
On Thursday (10/9/2020) Macron said that Europeans must clearly and firmly differentiate between Turkey as a nation and people with Erdogan through their unacceptable actions.
The French leader said this before a summit with the seven Mediterranean countries of the European Union where they threatened to sanction Turkey.
The latest tensions began after Turkey deployed the Oruc Reis research vessel escorted by a warship in disputed waters on August 10 and extended the mission three times.
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However, Erdogan on Saturday dismissed the comments and accused Macron of lacking historical knowledge.
“Mr. Macron, you will have more problems with me,” Erdogan threatened.
It was Erdogan’s first comment to directly accuse Macron of having been silent for some time.
He later said that France “cannot give lessons on humanity” to Turkey.
Erdogan also told Macron to reflect on France, especially what France did in Algeria and France’s role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
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Relations between Turkey and France have deteriorated in the eastern Mediterranean. The two allies are also at odds on other important issues, including the conflicts in Syria and Libya.
Ankara and Paris previously traded thorns after French officials met in 2018 with Syrian Kurdish leaders linked to US-backed militias that Turkey considers “terrorists.”
The two countries are also on opposite sides of Libya. Ankara supports the UN-recognized Tripoli government over military leader Khalifa Haftar.
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France is suspected of supporting Haftar, but insists they are neutral in the conflict.
Erdogan accused France of interfering in Libya “for oil” and in Africa for “diamonds, gold and copper.”
