Middle East

Erdogan warns Macron ‘not to mess with Turkey’ amid Mediterranean tensions

Issued on: 12/09/2020 – 17:23

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron "not to mess" with Turkey, as tensions between the NATO allies escalate.

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In a speech Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron was targeting him.

"Dont mess with the Turkish people. Don't mess with Turkey," Erdogan said during a televised speech in Istanbul on the 40th anniversary of the 1980 military coup.

“You will have many more problems with me,” he added.

On Friday, Marcon said that Europe needed to be “clear and firm” with Erdogans government over its actions.

France and Turkey, both NATO members, have been at odds over an arms embargo for Libya and over the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Paris is supporting Greece and Cyprus, who say Turkey is looking for oil and gas in their waters. Turkey says it has equal rights to the resources in those waters.

Erdogan also postulated that France has no right to criticise Turkey because it also had a colonial past.

>> Turkey challenges allies and enemies alike in quest for larger role on world stage

Later the same day, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday announced a "robust" arms purchase programme and an overhaul of tRead More – Source

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