EU, NATO have key roles to play in easing France-Turkey tensions
The rivalry between Ankara and Paris in Libya, Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean is just the latest addition to the list of contentious issues that represents a huge obstacle to any hope of improvement in Turkish-French relations. Tensions escalated further recently following an incident involving naval warships in the Mediterranean. France accused Turkish forces of harassing one of its vessels during a NATO mission in the Mediterranean, an allegation that was denied by Turkish military officials. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the organization’s military authorities are investigating French accusations that the Turkish navy failed to respond to an allied call for inspection this month.
Tension between NATO allies France and Turkey is nothing new. The relationship has long been marked by skepticism and has gradually, but systematically, become increasingly strained by disagreements on several issues, including: French opposition to Turkey’s membership of the EU; France’s support for Armenian claims of the events of 1915; and its position on Syrian Kurds. The incident in the Mediterranean added salt to the wound, and the rivalry in Libya seems like the final nail in the coffin of relations between Ankara and Paris. In the regional context, France is critical of Turkey’s military support for the internationally recognized government in Libya, its role in the Syrian conflict and its position regarding drilling operations in the eastern Mediterranean. Tensions escalated to a war of words when French President Emmanuel Macron described Ankara’s support for the Libyan government as a “dangerous game,” while Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused France of being complicit in the chaos in Libya. Amid these developments, Turkey arrested four of its citizens on suspicion of spying for the French on conservative and religious groups, according to Turkish reports.
As the differences between the two states grow, at bilateral and regional levels, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has called for urgent EU talks on the bloc’s future relationship with Turkey. And so the EU and NATO have been drawn into the escalating conflict. The big question is what can these organizations do to ease tensions and de-escalate the conflict between the old allies?
Turkey has been a major contributor to the NATO military alliance for seven decades, and has the second-largest army of any member state after the US. It is also a candidate for membership of the EU, which initiated accession negotiations with Ankara in 2005.
In the past decade, Ankara’s relationships with both the EU and NATO have experienced ups and downs as a result of regional and domestic issues. The Arab uprisings challenged established values and principles, and led to the emergence of areas of cooperation, as well as competition, in the region.
In the early stages, both Ankara and Paris supported the crucial changes in the regional order, and acknowledged the efforts being made to establish democratic institutions. Both countries were active members of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People, which was formed with the aim of finding a solution to the conflict in Syria. When the war entered a new phase with the intervention of nonstate actors, and as the regional views of the leaderships in the two countries shifted, Turkey and France found themselves at odds, facing off against each other in a complex situation.
The EU and NATO have historically played cooperative and constructive roles in the de-escalation of tensions between a number of states, including Turkey and Greece. Therefore, there is still the potential for dialogue and cooperation in Turkish-French relations, despite their many differences of opinion.
Given the existing threats to the security of the two countries, and the wider membership of the EU, as a result of the uncertainty and chaos in the region, it is necessary for everyone involved to keep a cool head.
Active cooperation with Turkey in the battle against terrorism is a priority for all the EU governments. It requires constant dialogue and this is something in which both Turkey and the EU have been successful for years. It is a significant example of an area of cooperation in which Turkey’s role cannot be underestimated.
The future of Syrian refugees, meanwhile, has been the subject of ongoing talks between European governments and Ankara since 2016. Turkey’s role as a regional front line in the efforts to limit refugee flow is acknowledged by all EU governments, including France.
Despite the French position that Turkey does not belong in the West, Ankara nevertheless has been a member of the Council of Europe, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and NATO for more than half a century. Both the EU and NATO must work cooperatively to make it clear that the strategic benefits of a good relationship between Turkey and the EU, and France in particular, will ultimately outweigh any current friction.