French sources with knowledge of the discussions told a group of journalists that Macron’s trip to Ankara “was unlikely”
His “door”. Emmanuel Macron at his invitation Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Turkey.
The French president is unlikely to visit Turkey despite an open invitation from the Turkish president earlier this year, demonstrating that the differences between the countries are still too wide to bridge.
Turkey and France have had a rocky relationship in recent years, clashing over issues such as the eastern Mediterranean and Syria, the website middleeasteye reports. The two leaders even exchanged personal insults, with Erdogan once calling Macron “brain dead”. But a period of not speaking to each other ended last year when they exchanged letters to mend broken ties.
In October, Erdogan said he met Macron on the sidelines of the French-led European Political Community summit and invited him to visit.
French sources with knowledge of the discussions told a group of reporters that Macron’s trip in Ankara “it was impossible”. The sources said both countries are still in negotiations on various disputes and “the visit would be futile without their resolution”.
The upcoming Turkish presidential election, scheduled for June, is another factor. The sources said they would not want an official presidential visit too close to the election, as there is a risk of impact on Turkey’s domestic political scene.
In the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean, Turkey and France have argued over maritime borders and Ankara’s tensions with Greece and Cyprus.
The French sources noted that Turkey has threaten the sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus, igniting tensions, and alienating Ankara from the European Union.
The sources, who also noted that the two-state solution in Cyprus it is the opposite with the parameters of the United Nations, they said that Erdogan’s call for a conference on the eastern Mediterranean is still on the table. They said France would like to do whatever is necessary to pursue common interests.
They also emphasized that Turkey’s proposal for a conference and dialogue is consistent with French goals, as long as tensions are not put on the table. France does not have a separate agenda for these issues, and wants a solution according to the parameters of the UN, they clarified.
Earlier this month, Macron also proposed a regional summit on Turkish and Iranian military operations against Kurdish groups in Syria and Iraq, possibly before the end of the year. French sources said the meeting was still being planned, and would likely not be convened before the end of the year.
Paris emphasizes, however, that economic and commercial cooperation are two of the most important pillars of its relationship with Turkey.
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