Paris (AFP)

Several politicians have called for the cancellation on Monday night of the France-Turkey qualifying match at the Euro-2020 after the military salvation of the Turkish players in a previous match, while Ankara is conducting an offensive against Kurdish positions in the north. East of Syria.

Like the boss of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, several elected officials evoke "both a question of decency, solidarity and common sense to guarantee public order" in a tense diplomatic context that led the French Minister of Finance. Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian to cancel his presence at the Stade de France.

In the French Football Federation, however, it is suggested that there has never been any question of canceling the match and that the decision lies with UEFA, the governing body of football in Europe. The French authorities may, however, apply for a cancellation or a postponement of the match if they consider that the risk of disturbing public order is too great.

Many politicians of all political persuasions have pleaded since Sunday for such a scenario under the hashtag #AnnulationMatchFranceTurkey, which has become one of the most popular topics on Twitter. Several of them denounce the "massacre of our Kurdish allies" by the Turkish army and point the finger at the military salute made Friday by the Turkish players to celebrate the goal of their victory against Albania in eliminations for the European 2020.

"If Turkish footballers do military salutes, they should expect to be treated like the soldiers of an enemy army, so we do not play football against them, the basis of sportsmanship is gone! ", says Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France rebellious.

- "Unthinkable" -

Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally, is also in favor of a cancellation: "By serving as a relay for the propaganda of Erdogan, whose actions in Syria are of concern to the international community, the Turkish football team has flouted the values ​​of sport It is time for UEFA to sanction this political drift of the Turkish football federation! "

"Unthinkable that Turkish players make the military salute on our soil, or that the Marseillaise is still whistled tonight," insists RN and Vice-President of the RN Jordan Bardella, while supporters Turkish had whistled in part June to Konya in the first leg.

The president of the UDI Jean-Christophe Lagarde, also president of the group of studies on the Kurds in the National Assembly, had opposed Sunday night that "those who salute the massacre of our Kurdish allies" are welcomed at the Stade de France.

At Les Républicains, MP Eric Ciotti called on LCI Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to "suspend" this match, "for security reasons", while many Turkish fans are expected at the Stade de France.

"Kurds killed, jihadists escaped If France had been up to speed by taking a strong initiative to force Erdogan to withdraw his troops from Syria, then Turkey would have asked for the cancellation of the match", commented on his side the national secretary of the Communist Party Fabien Roussel.

Turkey's sports and justice ministers, as well as the ambassador to Paris, are expected to attend the match, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.

UEFA's press chief Philip Townsend said on Sunday that the European football confederation will "examine" the military salute of Turkish players, recalling that the regulation "bans references to politics and religion".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launches a military operation in northern Syria on Wednesday against Kurdish forces, described as terrorists by Ankara but long-standing partners of Westerners in the fight against Islamic State group jihadists (EI) ), sparked an international outcry.

© 2019 AFP