Tensions between Ankara and Paris, which are particularly acute over Libya’s internal developments, have escalated with the announcement of the Sabah newspaper about the arrest of a French spy network in Turkey.

Last week, Turkish security forces arrested four Turkish nationals suspected of spying for Turkey in religious and social circles in France, and a pro-government newspaper reported the news.

According to the Turkish daily Sabah, Metin Ozdemir, a former member of the French Consulate General in Istanbul, admitted to the Turkish police that he had gathered information at the request of the French Foreign Intelligence Service (Directorate General for External Security). According to this person, he collected information about 120 people, including various people in different ranks and backgrounds, and in exchange for a monthly salary and a promise to join the “Legion Etrangere – foreign unit” of the French army for the use of non-French and foreign nationals in the French army.

Apparently, the reason for “Metin Ozdemir” referring to the Turkish authorities and his confessions was due to the disputes he had with the French intelligence agents.

The group arrested for spying for France is said to go on trial in an unspecified future.

France and Turkey, two NATO allies have sharply leveled charges against each other since last week’s incident in the Mediterranean. Paris describes the behavior of Turkish naval vessels as “aggressive behavior and movements” against the French fleet in the Mediterranean. Ankara denies the allegations, accusing the French ship of “conducting dangerous maneuvers” in the Mediterranean. Following these events and the military actions of the two NATO member countries, the organization has ordered an investigation to clarify the various dimensions of the incident.

These developments come at a time when Paris and Ankara are facing intense tensions over Libya. Turkey, with the support of the United Nations-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya, has turned military developments there in favor of the group; As a result, the Egyptian government announced its readiness for a military presence in Libya, sensing the danger of the Muslim Brotherhood supporters advancing on Tripoli.

France, on the other hand, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, is accused of supporting opposition forces in Libya under General Khalifa Haftar, based in eastern Libya. By insisting on this policy, Paris has always emphasized its opposition to Turkey’s presence in Libya.

In any case, it does not appear that France’s main goal in designing and influencing Turkish religious and social communities through its network of informants was to obtain Turkish military and political information, as this goal could be achieved through the presence of both states in NATO. However, due to the sensitivity of the presence of Muslims from different countries in France, the French are always trying to explain the situation and draw a clear picture about the presence of Muslims by observing the developments of religious communities and the activities of Muslims and mosques in France and their relationship with their country of origin.

On the other hand, since the beginning of the Cold War, and perhaps even earlier, the common practice of espionage in the world has always included countries that were in conflict or hostility with each other and were the target of espionage in another country; But what has happened in Turkish-French relations shows that in the post-Cold War era, espionage and infiltration among allied countries and members of a military complex are also possible, common and increasing.

Therefore, based on the assumption that obtaining information is tantamount to gaining more power, then no country intends to be deprived of these privileges.

Some French domestic circles have expressed concern about the incompetence of the foreign information section and attributed this to the lack of DGSE efficiency. Proponents of this hypothesis have cited abundance of terrorist operations by ISIS and certain other hardline Salafi groups in France in recent years as a proof of their claim.
Turkey’s actions and movements against France have created an atmosphere of pressure inside France and have prompted many voices against Turkey, and demands have been made to the French government officials regarding the behavior of the Turks, including the change of France’s position in the European Union to end Turkey’s application for EU membership. It has also called for the closure of France’s largest mosque in the city of Toulouse, the Al-Noor Mosque, which is under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and is naturally supported by Turkey. On the other hand, the sensitive issue of Turkish-Greek relations and the French support for the unification of Cyprus and siding with Greece are being raised by extremist opponents of Paris-Ankara relations.

In the meantime, some Western experts consider Turkey’s actions in the Mediterranean and neighboring countries to be somewhat effective in securing its interests. Moreover, General Haftar’s failures, despite the many weapons at his disposal and the dominance of GNA forces in recent victories in Libya could be effective in these behaviors by Ankara.

The same outlook holds that by signing an agreement with Russia on the developments in Syria, Turkey has gained more room for maneuver in North Africa, while after the start of Ankara’s recent attacks on Kurdish positions in Iraq, it can be imagined that the issue of “PKK” may be brink of change taking into account the interests of the Iraqi people.

Conclusion

Although tensions in the Paris-Ankara relationship as two NATO members and its aftermath cannot be easily overlooked, the intensity and seriousness of it should also not be exaggerated.

The issue of the Cypriot oil tanker, which exported Syrian oil in the wake of the Syrian crisis with the consent of ISIS and in favor of certain factions in Turkey as well as its side effects and commotions against Greece, has not been forgotten. Therefore, it is likely that the tension in relations between Ankara and Paris and the many rumors surrounding it can spread the process of achieving Turkey’s goals in Libya. Meanwhile the principle of non-confrontation with the Russians on both the Syrian and Libyan fronts is the most important red line for Ankara crossing which is not conceivable in the current situation for Turkey.