Macron: Europe needs a more united and clearer voice on Turkey which is no longer a partner

French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe needed “a more united clear voice” on Turkey which is “no longer a partner”.

 

Macron categorised some of Turkey’s actions as “inadmissible practices” including its drilling activities near Cyprus that are “not worthy of a great state”.

 

“We Europeans must be clear and firm with, not Turkey as a nation and a people, but with the government of President Erdogan which today has had unacceptable actions,” President Macron said at a press conference ahead of a Southern European summit.

 

Macron said Europe should avoid an escalation with Turkey but said that Erdogan needed to “clarify” Turkish actions, according to “euronews” website.

 

His comments come as rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece are likely to dominate the summit of Southern European countries.

 

Macron also said that he would launch a French-German initiative to welcome migrants following the fire at the Moria camp in Lesbos. But he gave few details about a plan to do so, which he said would be discussed today.

 

He said Europe needed to clarify their “red line” and to reengage with Turkey. The EU has previously tried to mediate with Turkey over the drilling activities.

 

“All of us Mediterranean nations need to live in peace,” Macron added.

 

Relations between the EU and Turkey are badly strained on a number of issues, including exploration for hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara is at loggerheads with EU member states Cyprus and Greece.

 

At the same time, Greece’s deputy foreign minister has sent the message that European Union leaders should impose “severe” economic sanctions on Turkey for a limited time if Ankara does not remove its military vessels and gas drilling ships from waters off Cyprus. 

 

“The sanctions should put this pressure, to be severe, for a limited time, but severe, in order to send the message that Europe is here to negotiate but is also here to defend its values,” Miltiadis Varvitsiotis told the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.

 

EU leaders will hold a special summit on Sept. 24-25 to discuss how to resolve the crisis between Cyprus and Turkey over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean.