Relationship dossier
Turkey
France
Relationship assessment
NATO allies with recurring disputes over the Mediterranean, Libya and regional policy
Turkey toward France
-20Turkish vessels were involved in a June 2020 Mediterranean incident with a French naval ship, which France said included hostile conduct; Turkey disputed France's account. President Erdoğan later met President Macron in 2021 as the governments pursued dialogue.
France toward Turkey
-15France sharply criticized Turkish conduct during the June 2020 Mediterranean naval incident and withdrew from a NATO naval operation pending an investigation. France also opened an EU accession negotiation chapter for Turkey in 2013, while bilateral dialogue continued at presidential level in 2021.
Overall relationship
-10The relationship combines NATO alliance ties and continuing diplomacy with recurring disputes over regional policy, notably in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean. The 2020 naval incident underscored the potential for serious friction, while subsequent high-level engagement showed that channels for dialogue remained active.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and France remain NATO allies with substantial diplomatic and economic ties, but relations have faced recurring disputes. A 2020 naval confrontation in the Mediterranean and opposing positions over Libya and the eastern Mediterranean sharpened tensions. The two governments have also maintained high-level dialogue, including a 2021 meeting between President Erdoğan and President Macron.
Areas of tension
- The 2020 Mediterranean naval incident and competing accounts of the conduct of Turkish and French ships.
- French and Turkish opposition to each other's policies in Libya.
- Disagreements over Turkey's eastern Mediterranean policy and France's support for Greece and Cyprus.
Key developments
France opened an EU accession negotiation chapter for Turkey.
A naval confrontation involving Turkish vessels and a French ship occurred in the Mediterranean; France and Turkey gave conflicting accounts of the incident.
President Erdoğan and President Macron met amid efforts to improve bilateral relations.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond diplomacy and trade are unclear.
- The durability of the 2021 effort to improve ties is uncertain.