France to bolster Mediterranean military presence over Turkish prospecting
France will increase its military presence in the
eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on
Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened
tensions with Greece.
The French leader voiced concern over “unilateral”
exploration by Turkey in a call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis,
Macron’s office said in a statement. It added that prospecting should “cease in
order to allow a peaceful dialogue” between the neighbouring NATO members.
The standoff deepened this week with the arrival of
Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis in a disputed area of the
Mediterranean, accompanied by warships.
France will “temporarily reinforce” its military
presence, Macron’s statement said, to “monitor the situation in the region and
mark its determination to uphold international law.”
Turkey and Greece are at loggerheads over competing
claims to natural gas reserves, brought into sharp focus by the attempts of EU
member Cyprus to explore for gas in the eastern Mediterranean over Turkey’s
strong objections.
Macron called last month for EU sanctions against
Turkey for what he described as “violations” of Greek and Cypriot sovereignty
over their territorial waters. Relations between Paris and Ankara have also
frayed over the conflict in Libya.
