Turkey and France talk 'ties' as colonial legacies loom large
📰 THE STORY: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to host his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and discussing pressing 'regional issues' including Gaza, Ukraine, and counterterrorism efforts. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: France's modern diplomatic posture in the Middle East and Africa is deeply rooted in its
colonial past. From the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 that carved up the Ottoman Empire's territories, to its brutal colonial rule in North Africa and ongoing military presence and economic influence in Francophone Africa (as seen with the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, which France championed, destroying one of Africa's most prosperous nations), Paris has consistently prioritized its strategic
interests, often at the expense of regional stability and self-determination. When they speak of 'counterterrorism,' they conveniently sidestep how interventions and state-sponsored proxy wars often fuel extremism. Double Standard: The West, including France, routinely decries 'destabilizing influences' in regions like the Sahel while maintaining a vast military footprint, exploiting resources,
and backing authoritarian regimes. France's 'concern' over developments in West Africa, for example, rarely acknowledges the public's widespread desire for genuine sovereignty away from French economic and military dominance. Its critique of 'foreign interference' often applies only when the interference isn't its own. Meanwhile, Turkey, having been on the receiving end of European imperial