<p>France said Sunday it expects Turkey to de-escalate international tension with actions instead of words ahead of an EU decision on possible further sanctions against Ankara.</p>.<p>Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French media that it would be "easy" for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to defuse standoffs in the eastern Mediterranean, in Libya and in Nagorno-Karabakh.</p>.<p>"The soothing declarations by Erdogan that we've seen over the past two or three days are not enough, we need acts," he said.</p>.<p>Le Drian's comments come a day after Erdogan reached out to the European Union, while warning the bloc not to be manipulated during escalating tensions over the eastern Mediterranean.</p>.<p>Turkish deployment of a ship to search for gas in waters claimed by Greece has triggered a fierce war of words with EU member states, which early this month extended sanctions against Ankara for another year.</p>.<p>"We have many disagreements," Le Drian said, calling Turkey's policies "expansionist" as well as "aggressive" towards two EU members, Greece and Cyprus.</p>.<p>Le Drian said said Turkey had been sending "Syrian mercenaries" to Nagorno-Karabakh, where warring parties Armenia and Azerbaijan this month signed a Russian-brokered peace accord.</p>.<p>At the December summit, the EU will "verify the commitments" made by Ankara concerning the various trouble spots, Le Drian said.</p>.<p>Erdogan said on Saturday he expected "the EU to keep its promises, not to discriminate against us or at least not to become a tool to open enmities targeting our country" in a video address to his ruling party congress.</p>.<p>At one point Turkey had pursued a track towards EU membership, but it encountered opposition from several EU members and has since pulled back under Erdogan's leadership.</p>
<p>France said Sunday it expects Turkey to de-escalate international tension with actions instead of words ahead of an EU decision on possible further sanctions against Ankara.</p>.<p>Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French media that it would be "easy" for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to defuse standoffs in the eastern Mediterranean, in Libya and in Nagorno-Karabakh.</p>.<p>"The soothing declarations by Erdogan that we've seen over the past two or three days are not enough, we need acts," he said.</p>.<p>Le Drian's comments come a day after Erdogan reached out to the European Union, while warning the bloc not to be manipulated during escalating tensions over the eastern Mediterranean.</p>.<p>Turkish deployment of a ship to search for gas in waters claimed by Greece has triggered a fierce war of words with EU member states, which early this month extended sanctions against Ankara for another year.</p>.<p>"We have many disagreements," Le Drian said, calling Turkey's policies "expansionist" as well as "aggressive" towards two EU members, Greece and Cyprus.</p>.<p>Le Drian said said Turkey had been sending "Syrian mercenaries" to Nagorno-Karabakh, where warring parties Armenia and Azerbaijan this month signed a Russian-brokered peace accord.</p>.<p>At the December summit, the EU will "verify the commitments" made by Ankara concerning the various trouble spots, Le Drian said.</p>.<p>Erdogan said on Saturday he expected "the EU to keep its promises, not to discriminate against us or at least not to become a tool to open enmities targeting our country" in a video address to his ruling party congress.</p>.<p>At one point Turkey had pursued a track towards EU membership, but it encountered opposition from several EU members and has since pulled back under Erdogan's leadership.</p>