Türkiye to boost cooperation with France in trade, energy, defense, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

The meeting addressed Türkiye-France bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues.

Underlining that dialogue with France is important for Türkiye, Erdogan stated that efforts would continue to strengthen further cooperation in many fields, particularly trade, energy, and the defense industry.

Erdogan stressed that Türkiye is determined to revitalize and advance its relations with the EU, and that activating the necessary mechanisms without delay would be beneficial.

Noting that Türkiye is making the utmost effort to achieve a just and lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, he emphasized that the negotiations held in Istanbul should proceed with a results-oriented approach.

Congratulating Macron on France’s decision to recognize the state of Palestine, Erdogan underlined that increasing international pressure on Israel's Netanyahu administration could yield results for the two-state solution, and highlighted the importance of maintaining close contact between Ankara and Paris in this context.

Erdogan and Macron also exchanged views on the latest developments in Syria, as well as on the rise of xenophobia and hate crimes in Europe.

Also present at the closed-door meeting were Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Erdogan is in the US city for the 80th UN General Assembly session, continuing his diplomatic engagements.