4 yıl önce

Erdogan: Turkey and France can contribute to peace efforts in the world

The leaders of the two countries, who've clashed over a range of issues, held discussions over a video call for the first time since September.

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President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) chat near a window during their meeting ahead of the ''Four-way Istanbul summit on Syria'' at Vahdettin Mansion in Istanbul, Turkey on October 27, 2018.

Cooperation between Turkey and France can contribute greatly to security, stability, and peace efforts in the world, the Turkish president said in a conversation with his French counterpart on Tuesday.

“As two powerful allies within NATO, we can provide significant contributions to efforts for security, stability, and peace in a vast geography extending from Europe to the Caucasus, from the Middle East to Africa,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video conference with Emmanuel Macron, Turkish Presidency said in a statement.

He noted that 2021 marks the centennial of the Ankara Agreement, which is the basis of Turkish-French bilateral relations, and said the two countries have “great cooperation potential.”

Erdogan said the two countries can take joint steps to fight terrorism, stressing that the menace threatens both countries and their people.

"We hope that Turkey and France act in solidarity regarding these issues," Turkish president said.

The conversation comes after raised tensions between the two countries and heated exchanges between the two presidents, with Erdogan repeatedly suggesting that Macron get "mental checks" and urging the Turkish people boycott French-labelled products.

Turkey and France were at loggerheads over policies in Syria, Libya, the eastern Mediterranean and other issues but the NATO members said last month they were working on a roadmap to normalise relations.