Turkey's ambassador to France said that Paris had informed NATO it was suspending its participants in a naval operation in the Mediterranean following the Turkish warships aggression towards its Courbet warship.
Ties between NATO allies France and Turkey have soured in recent weeks over Libya, Northern Syria, and drilling in the eastern Mediterranean.
France accused the Turkish warships of being aggressive towards its warship Corbett after the latter attempted to inspect the ship in June on the pretext of violating the United Nations arms embargo on Libya while the Courbet was operating in the NATO Sea Guardian operation.
NATO opened an investigation after France protested during an alliance defense ministers meeting in June.
"It seems that NATO experts did not reach the same conclusion. I had the information yesterday; it seems that the Courbet is withdrawing from this NATO exercise," envoy Ismail Hakki Musa told a hearing in the French Senate.
Musa denied the French allegations and informed the members of the Senate that the French warship had been aggressive.
France and NATO talks
French newspaper L'Opinion reported also France had sent a letter to NATO informing the alliance of its decision to suspend its role in operation Sea Guardian until it obtains explanations.
The French Armed Forces Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and Allied Maritime Command, which heads up Sea Guardian, did not rapidly respond for comment.
The French government has reported that on June 10 Turkish warships flashed their radar lights three times at the Courbet, added that Turkish sailors had also put on bullet-proof vests and stood behind their light weapons during the incident.
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