President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Aug. 21, their first direct contact since the NATO summit in June. The two leaders discussed Russia’s war in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, and bilateral cooperation, with Erdoğan again stressing Ankara’s interest in deepening defense ties with France.
Both later shared posts on X, tagging each other in messages that underlined common concerns but also revealed different priorities.
On bilateral ties, Erdoğan said Turkey valued closer cooperation with France, particularly in the defense industry, and wanted to keep advancing relations across multiple fields.
Ankara has long sought approval from Paris to procure European air-defense systems. A green light for the sale of Eurosam GIE’s SAMP/T could accelerate Turkey’s plan to build its own missile shield, described as a “steel dome,” within two to three years.
TURKEY AS A SECURITY GUARANTOR?
Macron said he and Erdoğan shared the goal of ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which he stressed could only be achieved through a ceasefire and “robust security guarantees” for Kyiv. He thanked Turkey for its cooperation within the “Coalition of Volunteers.”
Before the call, Macron told French television that Europe was prepared to deploy “reassurance forces”—British, French, German, Turkish and others—for operations “in the air, at sea and on land.”
The conversation with Erdoğan was initiated at Paris’s request after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv would only accept a peace deal with Russia if it included binding security guarantees.
Erdoğan, for his part, said Ankara continues to work for a “just peace” and is ready to host negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
PEACEKEEPING FORCE TO UKRAINE
Journalist Zeynep Gürcanlı noted that recent talks in Alaska and Washington already sketched a post-war map of Ukraine. Crimea is “not even on the table,” she wrote, with Donald Trump effectively recognizing Russia’s 2014 annexation.
The most contentious issue, Gürcanlı stressed, is security. With Russia rejecting Ukraine’s NATO membership or involvement, a coalition of guarantor states is expected to provide protection “on paper and on the ground.” Saying Macron has floated Turkey as one of these guarantors, Gürcanlı warned such a role could be a trap, dragging guarantor states into future conflicts. She also pointed out that Erdoğan has skipped Ukraine’s online summits, sending Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz instead—an indication Ankara may prefer to avoid risky commitments.
A Turkish military official, assessing speculation that Ankara might send peacekeepers to Ukraine, said: “First a ceasefire must be established between Russia and Ukraine, then the framework of a mission with a clear mandate must be defined, and the extent to which each country will contribute must be determined.”
GAZA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Turning to the Middle East, Macron strongly condemned Israel’s decision to launch a new offensive on Gaza and expand settlements in the West Bank’s E1 area. Calling the moves reckless, he said lasting stability required a ceasefire, hostage releases, humanitarian aid, and a revival of the two-state solution.
He noted that France and Turkey are coordinating ahead of the “Conference on the Two-State Solution,” which France will co-chair in New York in September, with talks expected to include a possible stabilization mission for Gaza.
Erdoğan also pressed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, warning of a “grave humanitarian catastrophe,” and said Israel’s accelerated settlement drive must be curbed.
Macron welcomed recent U.S.-brokered talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying progress there could reopen borders and foster regional cooperation. He closed by stressing France’s readiness to pursue “an ambitious bilateral agenda” with Turkey.
The two leaders agreed to revisit the issues in greater detail on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next month.
