Macron: Europe Has to Be Firm on Erdogan

The French President Emmanuel Macron said, on Thursday, that he would seek to adopt a unified European position with regard to the Turkish escalation in the eastern Mediterranean.

This came as European leaders called for more firmness towards Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During a press conference before the Euro-Mediterranean summit, Macron expressed his solidarity with Greece, stressing that he would seek to "adopt a unified European position towards the Turkish escalation in the eastern Mediterranean."

The French President added: "We want to avoid any escalation in the eastern Mediterranean crisis, but Turkey must make clear its intentions."

Macron called on Turkey to respect European sovereignty and international law, stressing that "red lines are clear and Turkey must clarify its options."

His speech comes just before the summit hosted by the French island of Corsica, which is expected to be dominated by disputes in the eastern Mediterranean region between Greece and Turkey.

Relations between Turkey and the European Union have been severely strained over a number of issues, including oil and gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.