ISTANBUL: Turkey has hit out at French President Emmanuel Macron over “arrogant” remarks made with “colonial reflexes” after he intervened in a crisis between Ankara and Athens over Eastern Mediterranean exploration rights.
In a statement on Thursday, the Turkish foreign ministry said Macron endangers EU interests with his “individual and nationalistic stance”. Macron seeks “to give lessons by speaking pedantically with his old colonial reflexes”, the statement added.
Earlier on Thursday, Macron stepped up anti-Turkey rhetoric amid his discussions with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Both Macron and Mitsotakis are attending a MED7 summit in Corsica along with the leaders of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Malta.
Macron urged Europe to adopt a “united and clear voice” on its policy towards Turkey, declaring Ankara is “no longer a partner” in light of its conduct in the Mediterranean and Libya.
“We Europeans need to be clear and firm” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his “unacceptable behaviour”, Macron told reporters ahead of the summit.
Research vessel
Turkey on 10 August deployed the Oruc Reis research vessel and an escorting flotilla of warships to the waters between Cyprus and the Greek islands of Kastellorizo and Crete. The vessel’s stay in the contested waters has been extended three times.
Greece responded by staging naval exercises with several EU allies and the UAE Emirates, not far from smaller manoeuvres Turkey conducted recently between Cyprus and Crete.