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France Says Turkey-Russia Rapproachment Will Force EU Rethink

France Says Turkey-Russia Rapproachment Will Force EU Rethink

(Bloomberg) -- Turkey’s rapprochement with Russia may cause a shift in the balance of international power that will force Europe to reassess its geopolitical strategy, a French diplomat said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a deal with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan two days ago to establish a buffer zone in northern Syria.

The deal, which followed more than six hours of talks in Sochi, came into force on Wednesday and includes joint patrols and coordinated action with Syrian forces to remove Kurdish fighters from the area.

France says the accord raises questions because Turkey hasn’t previously endorsed Putin’s support for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. France is calling for a meeting with Turkey, the U.K. and Germany -- all NATO members -- to establish common goals for the region.

The deal came hours before the end of a five-day ceasefire brokered by the U.S. between Turkey and Kurdish forces known as the YPG. While Erdogan says the Kurdish group is a terrorist organization, its fighters battled Islamic State alongside U.S. soldiers in Syria.

The French official said the U.S. withdrawal from Syria was inexplicable and raised questions over how committed the White House is to fighting Islamic State in the region. He said Turkey’s military intervention in northeastern Syria was also a serious mistake.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Caroline Alexander

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