In Paris, Turkish, French foreign ministers talk bilateral ties, regional, global issues

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – The Turkish and French foreign ministers on Monday discussed “multidimensional relations and regional and international issues” in Paris, said Turkey’s top diplomat.

“We discussed our multidimensional relations and regional and international issues with my French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter after the meeting.

“We aim to strengthen our relations with France on the basis of mutual respect,” he added, on the second day of a two-day visit to France at Le Drian's invitation.

“Turkey and France are two friendly and allied countries. And they will remain so. We must ensure that no misunderstanding comes to disturb this relationship of friendship to which we are sincerely attached,” Cavusoglu wrote in an op-ed for French daily L'Opinion on Sunday.

On recent tensions between Ankara and Paris, Cavusoglu said this was unusual for two allied countries.

He said recent contacts between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron gave them an opportunity to improve ties.

Cavusoglu said his current visit to Paris reflects this mutual will.