Macron says Turkey ‘could interfere’ in French elections

French President Emmanuel Macron said Turkey might attempt to interfere with the upcoming French elections, according to a report by Bloomberg.

“The threats aren’t veiled, so I think that we must be very lucid,” Macron said on Tuesday in an interview with France 5 television.

But the French leader did not specify if he meant the presidential vote in 2022 or the regional elections and departmental elections in June, or both.

He said Turkey would be “playing on public opinion,” in what is likely a reference to the influence it has on the Turkish diaspora via schools, mosques and other organizations.

The French leader followed his comments by saying that dialogue with Turkey remains necessary because it is a NATO member and on the issue of illegal migration.