Tensions with Turkey: France suspends participation in a NATO operation

Text by: RFI Follow

France confirmed this Wednesday, July 1, its decision to temporarily suspend its participation in NATO surveillance operations until it obtains responses to its requests concerning its friction with Turkey. 

Publicity

To denounce a form of impotence of the Atlantic Alliance, France announces that it will withdraw its military means from the maritime security operation of the NATO Sea Guardian. And in a letter sent Tuesday to the headquarters of the Alliance, Paris demands of its partners that they reaffirm their commitment to impose the arms embargo in Libya, but also that Turkish ships will henceforth stop using NATO codes when 'they lead missions which do not fall under the Alliance.

Between Paris and Ankara, the affair of the frigate Courbet is clearly far from being settled. On June 10, this ship, which was then on a Sea Guardian mission, attempted to control a cargo ship suspected of violating the arms embargo in Libya. The Courbet was then struck by lightning strikes from three Turkish frigates which were escorting it and which had used their fire control radar to remove the vessel from the French Navy.

After a stormy meeting at a Council of NATO Defense Ministers, the Secretary General of the Alliance agreed to launch an investigation. This report classified as a “NATO secret” did not ease the tensions between Paris and Ankara.

Against the backdrop of disagreement in Libya, Cyprus, but also on the question of the Russian S-400 missiles acquired by Ankara, relations are constantly deteriorating between France and Turkey. At the request of Paris, a meeting of EU foreign ministers will be held on July 13 to discuss the Turkish question. "  Sanctions have already been imposed on Turkey by the EU, because of the drilling that Turkey was initiating in the maritime economic zone of Cyprus (...) and other sanctions can be envisaged  ", a warned the head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• France
• Turkey
• Libya
• Nato