Erdogan Tells Macron “Not to Mess” with Turkey over Eastern Med

The next French presidential election will be in 2022.

Relations between Turkey and France have deteriorated over the eastern Mediterranean, but the two allies disagree on other major issues including the Syria and Libya conflicts.

Ankara and Paris have previously traded barbs after French officials in 2018 met with Syrian Kurdish leaders linked to a US-backed militia viewed by Turkey as "terrorists".

The two countries are also on opposing sides in Libya, where Ankara backed the UN-recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli against a 2019 offensive by military leader Khalifa Haftar.

France is suspected of supporting Haftar, but insists it is neutral in the conflict.

Erdogan accused France in his first speech on Saturday of intervening in Libya "for petrol", and in Africa for "diamonds, gold, copper". 

(Writer & Editor: RAZ/HAR, Agence France-Presse)

Source: http://u.afp.com/3EVa