Turkey reacts to Macroni: France's Time Has Gone

“We need to take a joint position when it comes to Turkey. We need a common European policy when it comes to energy and strategic issues. These issues should not be left alone NATO. A strong position of European countries is needed on these issues. Turkey is no longer a partner in the region”, said Macron, who claims Turkey has shown unacceptable behaviour towards the French ship in Libyan waters.

At the press conference before the summit of representatives of Southeast European countries, EU member states (Med7), which will be held in Korsica, the French president added that Turkey ignores Greek rights and that unacceptable agreements are signed with the Libyan government.

Turkey is intensifying provocations and this does not suit this big country. The Turkish people are a great people and deserve something else. We Europeans must be clear and firm in front of Erdogan's government, not the Turkish people. Erdogan's government is showing unacceptable behaviour. Our red line is clear: respect the sovereignty of each member of the European Union, respect international law and condemn any unilateral decision. We don't want to increase tension, but that doesn't mean that we will be passive”, Macron said.

He said it is necessary to discuss with countries that will participate in the summit mentioned what is needed to restore dialogue with Turkey.

“We need to determine the things we are ready for and what we want to do when it comes to Turkey. However, we will have preconditions that cannot be negotiated. Europe must present this clear position. Europe must be clear and unified”, Macron said.

He added that France's position has been fixed in recent months and that this is not towards raising tensions.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded that the statements were “only a reflection of the personal weakness and hopelessness of Macro, in which it has dropped”.

France's “President Macro, following the old colonial reflection, is once again making arrogant statements and teaching from the height of”, says Ankara's statement, adding that the “has passed the time when France could do what it wanted across the world”.

“Macron, whose dirty games we have destroyed and destroyed all clever foreign policy plans, is now attacking Turkey and our president with anger. ”

Our “president is one of the leaders elected in office with the greatest voter support in Europe, and he has always had the strength of the Turkish people. The Turkish people and government have always been and will be united against such attacks”, the statement said.

Stressing that “Macron is not a man who can set maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean or any other region of the world”, Ankara's statement further stresses that France should be “a supporter of dialogue and agreement, rather than engage in blind support for Greece and southern Cyprus, which have made the EU hostage to their narrow-minded interests and short-term light with unilateral drives of<3>.

This is dictated by European values and our alliance in NATO. With an individual and nationalist stance, France's president encourages tensions and puts Europe and the EU's major interests at risk. France, which has no borders on the eastern Mediterranean and is still headed by colonial mentality, has no basis for an attack on Turkey's foreign policy, which has proved to be Allied, sincere, co-operative, human and active. We let the French people assess the situation Macron has fallen, losing more and more public support in France”, the statement concludes.