Turkey – Conversation between Catherine Colonna and her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan (Aug. 18, 2023)

On August 17, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna spoke by phone with her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.

She expressed France’s deep concern over the unauthorized construction of a road on Cyprus leading from the occupied northern portion of the island to the village of Pyla via the UN buffer zone.

This type of construction contravenes the authority of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in the buffer zone and jeopardizes the restoration of trust that is vital to the urgent resumption of negotiations to bring about a just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus question within the framework endorsed by the UN Security Council.

The two ministers also discussed the situation in the Black Sea and the issue of Ukrainian grain exports in the wake of Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative.

Q&A

On the subject of the wildfires in Canada and Hawaii – is France involved in any scientific or technical cooperation at the site of these fires, and have any French citizens been evacuated from those areas?

France has repeatedly expressed its solidarity with the people and authorities of Canada and the United States.

France responded to the fires affecting several Canadian provinces, and particularly Quebec, by deploying French firefighters to the area in June; the last detachment completed its mission on August 10.

France has not been asked to provide technical or scientific support in response to the wildfires in Hawaii and the Northwest Territories in recent days.

Our consulates general in Vancouver and San Francisco stand ready to provide assistance to our fellow citizens. Our consulate general in San Francisco assisted French nationals who were evacuated from affected areas by U.S. authorities.