President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed the United Nations Security Council's ceasefire resolution and the recent developments in Syria in a phone call Monday.

The two leaders welcomed the U.N.-backed ceasefire in eastern Ghouta and agreed that it must be implemented immediately.

Despite the resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire, Assad regime bombardment of the opposition enclave has persisted.

Erdoğan also shared the latest developments in Turkey's ongoing Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin with Macron and told the French president that refugees will be able to return to their homes after the terrorist elements are cleared from the area.

The Cyprus dispute was also mentioned during the call as the sources said Erdoğan reiterated Turkey and Northern Cyprus's sensitivities over the hydrocarbon resources off the east Mediterranean island.

Turkey blames the Greek Cypriots for ignoring the rights of the Turkish side to the island's natural resources by continuing with unilateral hydrocarbon exploration activities.</s>PARIS (Reuters) - France on Monday said that Russia had to use its influence on the Syrian government to ensure it kept to a U.N.-backed nationwide ceasefire, and told Turkey the truce also applied to its operations against Kurdish militants in the Afrin region.

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses a news conference during European Union leaders informal summit in Brussels, Belgium, February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Two days after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the country, Syria’s army and its allies have continued their assault on the rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta near Damascus, and Turkey deployed police special forces to the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin on Monday for a “new battle” against the Kurdish YPG militia.

“The president ... stressed that the humanitarian truce applied to all of Syria, including Afrin, and should be implemented everywhere and by all without any delay,” Macron’s office said after a call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Macron accused Syrian government forces of violating the U.N. resolution as attacks continued on hospitals and civilians in eastern Ghouta, and said the spiral of violence had to end before it led to a wider regional conflict.

“Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, must now assume all its responsibilities towards the Syrian regime it supports,” the statement said.

Macron’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, travels to Russia on Tuesday to seek common ground on how to ensure this truce, unlike others, is implemented, French diplomats said.

French officials said Le Drian would discuss a document drawn up by Britain, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United States that makes recommendations to revive U.N.-led peace talks, with what they called a “practical approach” to what would be a slow political process.

“We have the tragic events in eastern Ghouta and are possibly preparing for other tragedies in Idlib and Afrin,” said a diplomatic source. “All that is in the context of the political dynamic in Geneva being bogged down, so this is one of the few documents that could create a consensus.”

The Security Council voted unanimously to demand a truce to allow aid access and medical evacuations. While Moscow backed the resolution, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia cast doubt on its feasibility.

Macron also told Erdogan that he was worried about recent events off the coast of Cyprus, stressing “the need to respect Cyprus’s sovereignty”, the statement said.

Cyprus accused Turkey on Friday of threatening to use force against a drillship chartered by Italy’s Eni, in a standoff over hydrocarbon rights in the eastern Mediterranean.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that a UN call at the weekend for a ceasefire across Syria also applied to Syria’s Afrin region. Turkey deployed special police forces to the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin on Monday for a “new battle” as its five-week campaign against the Kurdish YPG militia continues, Reuters reports. Macron also told Erdogan in a phone call that it was imperative that the ceasefire be fully respected. The French leader added that France’s monitoring of humanitarian access and chemical weapons is “total and permanent,” Macron’s office said.</s>French President Emmanuel Macron told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that the latest UN ceasefire vote applied to all Syrian territory, including the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin, where Turkey is waging an offensive.

During a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron said the 30-day ceasefire “involved all Syrian territory, including in Afrin, and must be put into effect everywhere and by everyone without delay,” said a statement released by the French presidency.

Macron’s call followed the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution Saturday calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria “without delay”, to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

On Sunday the Turkish government said the UN ceasefire would not affect its operation in the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin, which Ankara claims is aimed at fighting “terrorist organisations that threaten the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria”.

Turkey sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which for more than three decades has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state and is banned by Turkey, the US and the European Union as a terror group.

But the offensive has raised tensions with the US, which works closely with the YPG in the fight against jihadists in Syria.

According to sources in the Turkish president’s office, Erdogan told Macron that measures were being taken to avoid civilian casualties in Afrin.

Erdogan also reiterated that the offensive was aimed at “clearing terrorists” from the area so that Syrian refugees could return to their country.

On Monday, the Turkish government said it had deployed special forces in Afrin in anticipation of a “new fight” against the YPG.

Macron also told Erdogan he was “deeply worried” about the bombardments of Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, saying France would remain “vigilant” concerning humanitarian access to the area and any use of chemical weapons.

The French leader’s phone call came hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “humanitarian pause” in Eastern Ghouta starting Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory said one child died and at least 13 other people suffered breathing difficulties in an Eastern Ghouta village after a suspected chemical attack on Sunday.

Earlier this month Macron warned that France would carry out strikes against the government of President Bashar al-Assad if proof emerges that it has used banned chemical weapons against civilians.

More than 500 people have been reported killed in the bombing campaign by Assad’s forces over the course of a week.</s>PARIS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday told his Turkish counterpart that a U.N. call at the weekend for a ceasefire across Syria also applied to Syria’s Afrin region.

Turkey deployed police special forces to the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin on Monday for a “new battle” in its five-week campaign against the Kurdish YPG militia.

Macron also told Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that it was imperative that the cease-fire be fully respected and added that France’s monitoring of humanitarian access and chemical weapons is “total and permanent,” Macron’s office said in a statement. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander Editing by Richard Lough)</s>PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday told his Turkish counterpart that a U.N. Security Council call at the weekend for a ceasefire across Syria also applied to Syria's Afrin region.

Turkey deployed police special forces to the northwestern Syrian region of Afrin on Monday for a "new battle" in its five-week campaign against the Kurdish YPG militia.

 "The President of the Republic stressed that the humanitarian truce applied to all of Syria, including Afrin, and should be implemented everywhere and by all without any delay to stop the ongoing spiral of violence that could lead to a regional explosion and push away any hope of a political solution," Macron's office said in a statement.

 Macron told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on Monday morning that France's monitoring of humanitarian access and chemical weapons was "total and permanent".

 The Security Council voted unanimously to demand a 30-day truce to allow for aid access and medical evacuations. Yet while Moscow backed adopting the resolution, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia cast doubt on its feasibility.

 Macron also told Erdogan that he was worried about recent events off the coast of Cyprus, stressing "the need to respect Cyprus' sovereignty", the statement said.

 Cyprus accused Turkey on Friday of threatening to use force against a drillship chartered by Italy's, in a standoff over hydrocarbons rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

 

 (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Lough/Mark Heinrich)</s>French President Emmanuel Macron told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that a proposed UN ceasefire for Syria must be applied across the country, including in Afrin where Turkey is waging an offensive against a Kurdish militia.

During a telephone call between the two leaders, Macron said the 30-day ceasefire "involved all Syrian territory, including in Afrin, and must be put into effect everywhere and by everyone without delay", the French presidency said.

He added that Turkey, Russia and Iran, the three countries overseeing talks in Astana aimed at ending the nearly seven-year civil war, "have a direct responsibility in this regard that must be applied on the ground".

Ankara last month launched an offensive against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin in northern Syria.

On Sunday the Turkish government said the proposed UN ceasefire would not affect its operation, which it claims is aimed at fighting "terrorist organisations that threaten the territorial integrity and political unity of Syria".

Turkey sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which for more than three decades has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state and is banned by Turkey, the US and the European Union as a terror group.

But the offensive has raised tensions with Washington, which works closely with the YPG in the fight against jihadists in Syria.

The Syrian conflict has intensified with attacks by Damascus on the rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta, with at least 10 civilians killed in the area on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.

Macron told Erdogan he was "deeply worried" about the bombardments of Eastern Ghouta, saying France would remain "vigilant" concerning humanitarian access to the area and any use of chemical weapons.

On Saturday the UN Security Council approved a resolution calling for the ceasefire "without delay" to allow for aid deliveries and medical evacuations in Eastern Ghouta.</s>President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday faced heckles and whistles from French farmers angry with reforms to their sector, as he arrived for France's annual agricultural fair.

For over 12 hours, Macron listened and responded to critics' rebukes and questions -- only to return home to the Elysee Palace with an adopted hen.

"I saw people 500 metres (yards) away, whistling at me," Macron said, referring to a group of cereal growers protesting against a planned EU free trade pact with a South American bloc, and against the clampdown on weed-killer glyphosate.

"I broke with the plan and with the rules and headed straight to them, and they stopped whistling," he told reporters.

"No one will be left without a solution," he said.

Macron was seeking to appease farmers who believe they have no alternative to the widely-used pesticide -- which environmental activists say probably causes cancer.

He also wanted to calm fears after France's biggest farm union warned Friday that more than 20,000 farms could go bankrupt if the deal with the Mercosur trade bloc Brazil -- the world's top exporter of beef -- as well as Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) goes ahead.

Meanwhile, Macron was under pressure over a plan to allow the wolf population in the French countryside to grow, if only marginally.

"If you want me to commit to reinforce the means of protection... I will do that," he responded.

And he called on farmers to accept a decision on minimum price rules for European farmers -- "or else the market will decide for us".

But it wasn't all jeers and snarls for Macron at the fair.

He left the fairground with a red hen in his arms, a gift from a poultry farm owner.

"I'll take it -- we'll just have to find a way to protect it from the dog," he said, referring to his Labrador, Nemo.

It was a far cry from last year, when -- as a presidential candidate not yet in office -- he was hit on the head by an egg launched by a protester.</s>WASHINGTON — The White House has set the date for the first state visit of President Donald Trump's administration.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump will be hosting French President Emmanuel Macron on April 24.

Trump was the first U.S. president in decades to close his first year in office without welcoming a fellow world leader for a state visit.

The designation means Macron will be welcomed to the White House with a South Lawn arrival ceremony. He'll also be the honored guest at a glitzy state dinner.

French President Emmanuel Macron to star in ‘Peter and the Wolf’

Trump was Macron's special guest at a Bastille Day celebration last year that coincided with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I. Trump has said he wants to hold a similar parade in Washington late this year.</s>A hotly contested rail reform, a new law cutting the speed limit on most roads to less than 50 mph and tax rises for pensioners have sent French president Emmanuel Macron’s approval ratings spiralling downwards, a poll showed on Tuesday. The survey by pollster Odoxa for the French radio station France Inter and the weekly magazine L'Express showed that only 43 percent of French people think that the young centrist is a “good president,” down six percentage points from Odoxa’s previous poll in January. Some 57 percent of respondents said Mr Macron was a “bad president,” according to the poll. The president’s right-hand man, Edouard Philippe, is equally unpopular. Some 43 percent of those interviewed said that he was a “good prime minister,” compared to 56 percent who said the opposite.

While Mr Macron’s popularity rating has slumped by 11 percentage points since December in Odoxa polls, Mr Philippe’s has dropped by 14 points. This is the lowest approval rating recorded by Odoxa for Mr Macron since he took power in May 2017. Mr Macron and his premier are being assailed on several fronts by opponents and unionists opposed to their controversial reform plans. While the decision to lower the speed limit from 56 mph to 50 mph on all single carriageway A and B roads in a bid to cut road deaths has sparked nationwide outrage, the government’s move to reform the state-owned rail operator SNCF by decree has incensed unionists, who have threatened to stage a “continuous strike”. The French President’s government is pushing ahead with its plans to overhaul pension schemes, which involves scrapping rules allowing some state-employed rail workers to retire a decade early.

The head of France’s hard-left CGT trade union Philippe Martinez has pledged a day of national protest as he branded Mr Macron “arrogant and vindictive”. Earlier this month, the powerful CGT union called for a nationwide strike on March 22 to protest against the government’s plans to end rail workers’ privileged status and prevent the changes from being implemented “by force”. But even though Mr Macron has seen his popularity rapidly decline at home, he remains widely admired abroad, where he is seen by most as a reformist and power broker. Among his admirers is US President Donald Trump, who has openly expressed his respect for Mr Macron. The White House announced on Monday that Mr Trump would host the young centrist for a state visit in April, the administration’s first since the hardline Republican took office last January.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: “The president and first lady will welcome President and Mrs Macron of France to the White House on April 24. “The visit will advance American and French cooperation on economic and global issues and deepen the friendship between the two countries.” Mr Macron’s office said in a brief statement that the visit would take place on April 23-25 and include a joint news conference, a meeting at the White House, several official ceremonies and a state dinner. The Elysée Palace said in a statement: “The invite reflects the deep historical ties between our two countries … as well as the strength of the relationship between the two presidents.” The Odoxa survey was carried out on February 21 and 22 with a sample of 973 people aged 18 and over.
French President Emmanuel Macron phones Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, telling Erdoğan that the UN-approved ceasefire in Syria also applies in the Afrin Region.