Catherine Colonna met her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier than flying to Athens on Tuesday to handle a brand new spike in tensions between the 2 NATO neighbours and historic foes.

Colonna made efforts at a joint media look with Cavusoglu to keep away from a repeat of the general public spat that developed throughout a go to by German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock to Ankara in July.

The German minister had pressed Cavusoglu on Turkey’s human rights document and brazenly sided with Greece within the regional dispute.

Colonna mentioned she “questioned” Cavusoglu in regards to the more and more heated confrontation between the 2 neighbours and urged him to keep away from “any escalation, verbal or in any other case”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Athens over the weekend of “occupying” islands within the Aegean which are Greek however should stay freed from troops underneath treaties signed after World Warfare I.

“We have now particular ties with Greece,” Colonna mentioned. “However above all, we wish the 2 neighbours and (NATO) allies to settle any distinction they might have via dialogue.”

Greece and Turkey have longstanding border disputes which have grown extra pressing with the invention of huge pure gasoline deposits within the east Mediterranean.

French officers mentioned forward of the go to that Colonna was significantly targeted on elevating Russian sanctions-busting in Ankara.

The US Treasury despatched an unusually blunt letter to Turkish companies final month warning that they’d be reduce off from entry to {dollars} ought to they commerce with sanctioned Russian entities.

Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to step up financial cooperation at a summit in Sochi on August 5.

Official knowledge present the worth of Turkish exports to Russia between Might and July rising by almost 50 % from final yr’s determine.

Erdogan has beforehand argued Ankara can not be a part of Western sanctions on Moscow due to Turkey’s heavy dependence on Russian oil and pure gasoline imports.

Colonna mentioned she would talk about the significance of international powers abiding by the sanctions throughout a non-public dinner with Cavusoglu in a while Monday.

“We have now the identical purpose,” Colonna mentioned.

“The sanctions coverage we’re pursuing has one goal, which is to restrict the Russian warfare effort. The sanctions system deprives Russia’s warfare effort. We’ll discuss that.”

Cavusoglu didn’t react to the minister’s feedback about sanctions however mentioned: “It’s apparent that don’t agree on every little thing with France, however it’s not an impediment to dialogue.”