Tayyip Erdogan bitterly quarreled with Emmanuel Macron over a number of geopolitical flashpoints
Paris, France:
France condemned Thursday the “declarations of violence” of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and raised the possibility of new sanctions against Ankara.
Erdogan has argued bitterly with French President Emmanuel Macron over a number of geopolitical hot spots and recently also over France’s struggle against radical Islam.
“There are now statements of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by President Erdogan which are unacceptable,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio.
Turkey on Wednesday promised to “respond in the strongest possible way” to France’s ban on the Turkish ultra-nationalist group Gray Wolves linked to a leading Erdogan ally.
“It is not only France that is targeted, there is total European solidarity on the subject – we want Turkey to renounce this logic,” said Le Drian.
The European Council, he added, has already decided to take action against the Turkish authorities, and “it is now important that the Turks take the necessary steps to prevent this.
“There are pressure tactics, there is a possible sanctions agenda.”
Turkey and France have been at odds over the conflicts in Syria and Libia as well as a natural gas rush in the Mediterranean and more recently over Macron’s vow to defend secular values, including the right to laugh at Islam and other religions, as part of the fight against extremism.
Erdogan recently called for a boycott of French products, accusing Macron of Islamophobia and advising the French leader to do “mental checks”.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
