Emmanuel Macron is in Corsica, this Thursday, September 10, where he takes part in a summit of southern European Union countries -

Ian Langsdon / AP / SIPA

Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Europe to bring "a more united and clearer voice" against Turkey, which "is no longer a partner".

"We Europeans must be clear and firm with the government of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan who, today, has unacceptable behavior" and who must "clarify his intentions", said the Head of State in Ajaccio before a summit of the countries of the south of the European Union, while underlining its "deep wish" to "re-engage in a fruitful dialogue with Turkey".

Strong tensions in the eastern Mediterranean

"There have been unacceptable practices on the Libyan coast" with regard to the French frigate which operated under NATO command, "Turkey signed unacceptable agreements with the government of Libyan national accord, denying the rights legitimate of Greece "and finally" Turkey has drilling practices in the Cypriot zone (...) which are unacceptable today ", he denounced.

For months, tensions have been very high in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pursuing an expansionist policy, and Greece is in the front line.

France has so far been one of Athens' strongest European supporters, going so far as to deploy military means in areas under pressure.

Redo "a pax mediteranea"

At the end of the afternoon, Emmanuel Macron will participate in Porticcio, near Ajaccio, in the seventh summit of Med7, an informal forum of southern EU countries, with the Italian leaders Giuseppe Conte, Spanish Pedro Sanchez, Greek Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Portuguese Antonio Costa, Cypriot Nikos Anastasiades and Maltese Robert Abela.

They will discuss in particular the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece.

The ambition is to redo "a pax mediteranea, that is to say a space for the circulation of cultures, knowledge (...) and not a space of conflict or misery," Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday.

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  • Tensions

  • Mediterranean

  • Greece

  • Turkey

  • Emmanuel Macron