Macron Slams Turkey over Eastern Mediterranean 'Violations'
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday denounced what he called Turkey's "violation" of the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus, saying it would be a serious error by the European Union to not respond to provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean. "I want once again to reiterate France's full solidarity with Cyprus and also with Greece in the face of Turkey's violation of their sovereignty," the French leader said ahead of talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades at the Elysee Palace. The EU has already imposed some sanctions on Turkey over drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean, but Macron said more sanctions would be needed to stop the violations. "It is not acceptable for the maritime space of a member state of our Union to be violated or threatened. Those who contribute must be sanctioned," Macron said. Greece's navy said Wednesday that it had deployed ships in the Aegean in "heightened readiness" after Turkey issued an advisory for seismic surveys in an area of sea between Cyprus and Crete. Turkey is at odds with Greece and the EU over maritime rights in the Eastern Mediterranean amid a scramble for resources following the discovery of huge gas reserves in recent years. Energy and security issues in the area are the subject of "power struggles, particularly of Turkey and Russia," about which the EU was not doing enough, Macron said. Anastasiades agreed there was "a void on the part of Europe" on this issue, adding that Macron's initiatives offered "a glimmer of hope" that the Mediterranean will "not be under the control of Turkey or another country."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2406861/macron-slams-turkey-over-eastern-mediterranean-violations
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