Pompeo says Europe, US need to work together to address Turkey

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a media briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., November 10, 2020. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS

PARIS — The U.S. administration and Europe need to work jointly on addressing actions led by Turkey in the Middle East over the past few months, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told French daily newspaper Le Figaro.

“France’s president Emmanuel Macron and I agree that Turkey’s recent actions have been very aggressive,” Pompeo said, citing Turkey’s recent support to Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia as well as military moves in Libya and the Mediterranean.

“Europe and the U.S. must work together to convince Erdogan such actions are not in the interest of his people,” Pompeo said, referring to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Pompeo said increased use of Turkey’s military capability was a concern, but he did not say whether the country, which hosts U.S. military forces at its Incirlik Air Base, should stay in or quit the North Atlantic Alliance.

Pompeo told Le Figaro the U.S. administration had still work to do to maintain pressure on Iran.