Turkish FM holds discussions with his French counterpart

ANKARA

Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu held a phone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Dec. 8 after a period of strained ties between two countries. They discussed regional issues and bilateral relations, the Turkish diplomatic sources said.

Ankara and Paris have been at odds over a series of issues, including the hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean, the French administration’s attitude against Muslims, and the conflict in Upper Karabakh.

France’s foreign minister told his Turkish counterpart that a renewed constructive relationship with the European Union could only be possible if Ankara clarified its position on several subjects, French spokesperson said.

“On the eve of the European Council on December 10 and 11, the minister recalled the French and European requirements for clarifications, which are a necessary condition for the resumption of a constructive relationship between Turkey and the European Union,” French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes von der Muhll said in a statement after a phone conversation.

The conversation came ahead of an E.U. summit on Dec. 10, where the issue of imposing sanctions on Turkey could be on the agenda.

Çavuşoğlu also had a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Dec. 8 on the issues related to Upper Karabakh, Ukraine, and the recent arrest and release of Russian nationals in Turkey.

On Dec. 7, two Russian nationals were released after being arrested along with a Turkish national for taking unauthorized footage with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of a research and development center in Istanbul.

Çavuşoğlu held a phone talk with his Georgian counterpart David Zalkaliani to discuss regional cooperation, the sources said. The two ministers also spoke about Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral mechanisms and efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic.