NATO to investigate French accusations of alleged incident involving Turkish navy in Mediterranean Sea, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Thursday (June 18) defense.

"This incident in the Mediterranean was discussed at the meeting by several allies. My message is that we have made sure that the military authorities of NATO are investigating this incident to bring clarity to what happened", he said at a press conference.

France claims that the Turkish navy has engaged in "hostile and unacceptable behavior ... aimed at hampering efforts to implement the United Nations arms embargo".

"An extremely aggressive act"

Providing details of this incident during his hearing Thursday before a parliamentary committee, Florence Parly, the Minister of the Armed Forces, said that it had occurred last June 10 in the eastern Mediterranean where a navy frigate French, the Courbet, was checking as part of a NATO mission a Turkish boat, the Cirkin, to make sure that it was not transporting arms to Libya.

The Turkish boat had cut off its transponder and refused to identify itself and to communicate its port of destination. Turkish navy vessels then "illuminated" the French frigate three times "with their fire control radars," the minister continued.

"In addition, (Turkish) personnel in bullet-proof vests and heavy helmets stood on the lookout for the light weapons of these ships. It is an extremely aggressive act and cannot be that of an ally in the face of a another ally doing its job under NATO command, "she said. "There cannot be the slightest complacency with this kind of behavior," she added, adding that eight European allied countries had given her "clear support".

France has repeatedly accused Ankara of violating the UN arms embargo on Libya. Turkey on Thursday dismissed the "unfounded" charges and a senior Turkish military official who requested anonymity accused the French ship of having carried out a "high speed and dangerous maneuver".

Jens Stoltenberg stressed the need to respect the embargo. "NATO supports the implementation of the UN decision to impose an arms embargo on Libya. We support the efforts of the UN to find a solution to the conflict," he said. .

NATO member Turkey militarily supports the Libyan Union Government (GNA) of Fayez al-Sarraj, recognized by the United Nations, against the forces of Marshal Khalifa Haftar supported in particular by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. 

With AFP and Reuters

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