France will send two Rafale fighter jets and the naval frigate ‘Lafayette’ to the eastern Mediterranean as part of plans to increase its military presence in the region, the armed forces ministry said on Thursday amid signs of tension with Turkey, reported Reuters.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in the disputed waters in that area, which has resulted in heightened tensions with Greece.
A statement by Macron’s office said as quoted by DW on Thursday said that France will “temporarily reinforce” the presence of its military to “monitor the situation in the region and mark its determination to uphold international law.”
In a call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron raised concern over “unilateral” exploration by Turkey, adding that they should “cease in order to allow a peaceful dialogue” between Turkey and Greece.
The mood in the conflict soured last week after Greece and Egypt signed an agreement to set up an exclusive economic zone in the region. The Turkish foreign ministry has said the Greece-Egypt agreement was “null and void”.
Turkey says it has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean but it is penned into a narrow strip of waters due to the extension of Greece’s continental shelf, based on the presence of many Greek islands near its shore./argumentum.al
