Turkey may try to interfere in the upcoming presidential elections in France, French President Emmanuel Macron told France 5 TV channel.

Diplomatic relations between France and Turkey have deteriorated due to differences over Syria, Libya, and the eastern Mediterranean. In December, France spearheaded a diplomatic push for European Union sanctions against Turkey for its seismic surveys in Mediterranean waters.

Asked if Turkey will try to interfere in the French elections, Macron said that threats are not hiding.

French officials have expressed concern about the influence of Islamist groups and the far-right Turkish ultranationalist organization Gray Wolves.

Macron said during political tensions between the two countries in the fall, the Turkish state adopted a policy of lies that were spread through pro-government media. He also noted the importance of dialogue with Ankara.

According to him, since the beginning of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to establish bilateral relations.