Türkiye can balance situation Middle East, French envoy says
From France, which gradually lost its effectiveness in Africa and Europe, a remarkable exit came about Türkiye, which has not fallen off the agenda of the world with its proactive foreign policy. French Ambassador to Ankara Herve Magro said that Türkiye will ensure the balance in the Middle East.
Considering Türkiye's active roles in Libya, Syria, Karabakh and its mediation in the Russian-Ukrainian war, grain corridor agreement and prisoner exchange, only Türkiye can balance the Middle East, Ankara French Ambassador Herve Magro said in an interview with CNN.
'TURKIYE IS PART OF EUROPE'
Ambassador Magro, whose term of office has expired, made important statements before leaving Türkiye. The Ambassador emphasized that Türkiye is a part of Europe.
“Here are the rules of the European Union. There was no visa at the time of Covid, then suddenly we were faced with a huge request. We are now experiencing some delays in terms of time. We have added new people to our team. Since our teams were insufficient, we had difficulties in the face of great demand. Türkiye is part of Europe,” he said.
Magro also drew attention to Türkiye's role in the Middle East.
"There is an ongoing war. The situation in the Middle East is very difficult. Türkiye can provide this balance. Everyone wants Türkiye to assume this responsibility," he added.
France's attitude in Türkiye's EU membership process
In 2004, President Jacques Chirac said that France will hold a referendum on Türkiye's entry into the European Union (EU) when the issue arises, and any further EU enlargement will also be subject to a popular vote.
In 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that "Türkiye has no place inside the European Union." Sarkozy continued, "I want to say that Europe must give itself borders, that not all countries have a vocation to become members of Europe, beginning with Türkiye which has no place inside the European Union."
France's position on Türkiye's EU accession was unchanged a decade later. In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that “As far as the relationship with the European Union is concerned, it is clear that recent developments and choices do not allow any progression of the process in which we are engaged”.
Source: turkiyegazetesi.com.tr
