The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian.

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AP / SIPA

The European Council scheduled for the end of September will be devoted primarily to the Turkish issue and to tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, with in particular the study of sanctions against Ankara, the French Foreign Minister said on Sunday.

"We prepared this Turkish dossier a few days ago, between foreign ministers in Berlin, to list the range of reprisals that we could initiate with regard to Turkey," Jean-Yves Le Drian said on France Inter .

Several countries of the European Union, France in the lead, are experiencing strong tensions with Turkey, in particular on the Libyan issue, migration issues as well as security and gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara is accused of pursuing a policy expansionist.

"We are saying to Turkey: between now and the European Council, show your ability to discuss the Eastern Mediterranean first," explained the French foreign minister.

“It is up to the Turks to ensure that this question (…) can be discussed (…).

It's possible !

", he added.

“At that point, we enter a virtuous circle on all the problems posed”.

The summit will take place on September 24 and 25

The situation has become particularly volatile in the region after a month of escalation, triggered on August 10 by the deployment of a Turkish seismic research vessel in waters claimed by Athens.

In a sign of support for its Greek partner within the EU, France reinforced its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean at the end of August.

And for months, the two capitals have exchanged invectives.

Jean-Yves Le Drian refused to specify the nature of these possible sanctions.

“There is a whole series of measures that can be taken.

We are not helpless at all and he (Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, editor's note) knows it very well, ”he insisted.

But he hollow out a battery of economic sanctions, accusing Recep Tayyip Erdogan of creating "an Islamo-nationalist state of mind" intended to "hide the truth of the economic situation" in Turkey.

The European Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of the EU, will be held on 24 and 25 September.

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  • Mediterranean

  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan

  • Turkey

  • European Council

  • Greece

  • World

  • Jean-Yves Le Drian