FILE PHOTO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks during a joint press conference after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, on January 13, 2020. Pavel Golovkin / Pool via REUTERS
BERLIN (Reuters) – Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Turkey hopes France will apologize after an incident between Turkish and French warships in the Mediterranean prompted Paris to request a NATO investigation.
Relations between NATO members have deteriorated due to the conflict in Libya, where Turkey supports the internationally recognized government and accuses Paris of backing the eastern forces of Khalifa Haftar who tried to capture Tripoli.
France denies endorsing Haftar’s offensive in the capital, and accused Turkish warships of aggressive behavior after its own warship attempted to inspect a ship in June that it suspected was violating a UN arms embargo against Libya. .
“France should apologize to us instead of confronting Turkey with incorrect information. France supported the wrong side in Libya, ”said Cavusoglu during a press conference in Berlin.
Libya has been divided since 2014 between rival factions in Tripoli, home to the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), and in the east, where Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) dominates.
Cavusoglu spoke in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who called for “constructive dialogue” to resolve the differences between France and Turkey, and called for a return to the ceasefire talks in Libya.
“Right now we would like those (countries) that have a great influence on one of the two conflicting players to encourage them to come back to the table,” he said.
Reports by Daren Butler and Ece Toksabay in Turkey and Madeline Chambers in Berlin; Written by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Dominic Evans
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