France urged fellow European Union leaders on Tuesday to adopt measures against Turkey, after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan questioned French President Emmanuel Macron’s mental health and called for a boycott of French goods.
“France is united and Europe is united. At the next European Council, Europe will have to take decisions that will allow it to strengthen the power balance with Turkey to better defend its interests and European values,” Trade Minister Franck Riester told lawmakers, without elaborating.
Over the weekend, Erdogan’s comments prompted France to recall its ambassador from Ankara.
Several of France’s partners in the European Union rallied round the French leader. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Erdogan’s remarks were unacceptable.
Turkey and France, NATO members, have been at odds over a host of issues, from Syria and Libya, maritime jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean, and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
