France boosts its border controls after terrorist attacks
Macron said the number of police and troops in charge of border controls will double from 2,400 now to 4,800. They will focus on fighting illegal immigration and smuggling activities, he said, during a visit to a frontier post in Le Perthus, at the border with Spain. “We see very clearly that terrorist actions can actually be led by some people who use migratory flows to threaten our territory. So we must reinforce our controls for reasons of national security,” Macron said.
France bans Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves group
The French government on Wednesday banned the Grey Wolves, a far-right nationalist group accused of violent actions and inciting hate speech in France. The ban was approved during a weekly Cabinet meeting, according to government spokesperson Gabriel Attal. France accused the group of "extremely violent actions," spreading "extremely violent threats'' and creating "incitement to hatred against authorities and Armenians,'' Attal said, citing an Armenian memorial near the eastern city of Lyon that was found defaced last weekend. The 1915 Armenian genocide memorial had "Grey wolf" and "RTE," the initials of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, written on it, as well as pro-Turkish slogans. Armenians have long campaigned for the mass killings of their ancestors in the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to be recognized as genocide. France backs their call.
Turkey hits back In reaction to the ban on the Grey Wolves, Ankara vowed to "respond in the firmest way possible." The Turkish Foreign Ministry denied the very existence of the group, saying France was "dealing with an imaginary formation." In a statement, the ministry said the French government had to "protect the freedom of assembly and expression of Turks in France."
https://www.dw.com/en/france-bans-turkish-ultra-nationalist-grey-wolves-group/a-55503469
France Condemns Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "Declarations Of Violence"
Erdogan has been feuding bitterly with French President Emmanuel Macron on a number of geopolitical flashpoints and recently also France's fight against radical Islam. "There are now declarations of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by president Erdogan which are unacceptable," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio. Turkey vowed Wednesday to "respond in the firmest way possible" to France's ban of the Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves group linked to a top ally of Erdogan. "It is not only France that is targeted, there is a total European solidarity on the subject -- we want Turkey to renounce this logic," Le Drian said. The European Council, he added, has already decided to take measures against the Turkish authorities, and "now it is important for the Turks to take the necessary measures to avoid this. Newsbeep "There are means of pressure, there is an agenda of possible sanctions."
