French, Turkish defence officials discuss situation in Middle East

On March 18, France’s Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, discussing the situation in Europe’s eastern flank and the Middle East.

As reported by Caliber.Az, the French general shared details of the call on X.

Discussion téléphonique avec mon homologue turc 🇹🇷, le général Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu.

Nouveau partage de vues sur l’environnement stratégique, du flanc est de l’Europe au Proche et Moyen-Orient.

Nous sommes ensemble au sein de l'OTAN et dans la coalition des volontaires. Nous… pic.twitter.com/0KbJSgM86z

— Chef d'état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) March 18, 2026

During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the strategic situation, ranging from Europe’s eastern flank to the Middle East, and discussed current security challenges.

The dialogue was held within the framework of NATO cooperation and aimed at coordinating actions and safeguarding shared interests amid escalating regional tensions.

By Khagan Isayev