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“Don’t try to fight with the Turkish people. Don’t try to fight Turkey. You will have problems with me, ”Erdogan warned, in a speech in Istanbul and broadcast on television, referring to Macron’s harsh criticism of Ankara over the conflict between Greece and Turkey over oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
On Friday, Macron said Europe must be “clear and firm” with the Erdogan government, siding with Greece and Cyprus, at a time when the European Union has decided to impose sanctions on Ankara due to the conflict in the Mediterranean.
Macron even said that the Turkish government had “unacceptable behavior” and said it was necessary to “clarify its intentions.”
France has been one of the strongest countries in responding to the Turkish exploration for gas deposits, having even sent ships and combat aircraft to the area during the summer, to underline its support for Greeks and Cypriots.
Turkey claims the right to exploit hydrocarbon deposits in a maritime area that Athens considers to be under its sovereignty.
France and Turkey are also at odds over the arms embargo on Libya, but Erdogan rejects criticism from Paris and says France should remember its colonial history.
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