The Search for Franco-German Consensus on the Eastern Mediterranean: The Paris/Ankara Row and its Consequences for the EU

Institute:

French Institute of International Relations (Ifri)

Project Members:

Dorothée Schmid, Senior Research Fellow, Head of Turkey and Middle East Programme, Ifri
Eric André Martin, Secretary General of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations, Cerfa
Aris Marghélis, Associate Researcher Fellow at the Maritime and Oceanic Law Center (CDMO), University of Nantes
Jana Jabbour, Associate Doctor at CERI, teacher at Sciences Po, Communication and Public Information Officer (UNESCO)

Project Duration: Feb 2021 – Dec 2021

Contact:

Dorothée Schmid, email: schmid@ifri.org
Elisa Domingues Dos Santos, email: dominguesdossantos@ifri.org

The definition of French interests seemed to be directly at odds with what was perceived as Turkey’s exaggerated adventurism in the region, to the point of triggering military escalation. While French decision-makers argued that they had a more realist appraisal of the situation and aimed to preserve European stakes, the lack of a common denominator among other EU member states only produced more fragmentation. France’s hard response affected Franco-German cooperation en passant, while a more coordinated response could have decisively and positively affected the power relationship with Ankara.

This research project aimed to identify the underlying biases shaping France’s foreign policy towards Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the way they would impact the EU’s external positions.

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