Macron’s office announced its decision after the French president discussed Turkey’s operation in Afrin, Syria with Turkish President Erdogan during a phone conversation. “The two presidents agreed to work on a diplomatic road map for Syria in the coming weeks. To that end, discussions between France and Turkey, which both hope for a political solution […]
Macron’s office announced its decision after the French president discussed Turkey’s operation in Afrin, Syria with Turkish President Erdogan during a phone conversation.
“The two presidents agreed to work on a diplomatic road map for Syria in the coming weeks. To that end, discussions between France and Turkey, which both hope for a political solution overseen by the UN, will increase in the coming days,” the Élysée Palace said in a statement.
Days after Turkey’s campaign kicked-off in the Syrian city of Afrin, President Macron expressed his concerns over offensive and the deteriorating situation in Syria.
“If it turns out that this operation takes a turn other than to fight a potential terrorist threat to the Turkish border and becomes an invasion operation, [then] this becomes a real problem for us,” he told Le Figaro.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was quick to respond to Macron’s remarks, saying that the French president had a “flawed understanding” of Ankara’s anti-terrorist campaign in Afrin.
“The whole world knows and should know that Turkey does not operate with the mentality of an invader.”
While the prime minister’s reaction may have seemed harsh, Erdogan, according to the Turkish Anadolu news agency, sought to reassure Macron that Ankara has no eye on Syrian territory.
