ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Tensions with Turkey have eased following frank discussions with Ankara, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
“As you remember, we defined the milestones for Ankara to leave the escalating attitude it entered last year, and to return to a constructive path with the [European] Union. This frank and firm dialogue paid off, and tensions reduced,” he said following a meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
“I consider the past weeks to have been useful, that this cooling-off period has manifested…we will continue to be vigilant during the summer,” he added, saying he hopes the two sides will reengage in shared efforts, especially in regards to refugees.
“Turkey has a responsibility and plays an important role in the matter.”
Macron’s comments signal a shift in what has long been considered hostile relations between the two presidents.
France has been highly critical of Ankara’s foreign policy moves, including in northern Syria. It has also dissolved the Grey Wolves, an ultranationalist Turkish group which has led several violent rallies cities across France – prompting outcry from Ankara.
In October, Erdogan lashed out at the French president, saying Macron was a burden on France and needed “mental checks” following his response to the beheading of a Parisian teacher by a Muslim extremist, prompting Paris to recall its envoy from Istanbul.
Last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said a “verbal ceasefire” had taken effect between Paris and Ankara following a meeting between Macron and Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit in the Belgian capital.
“There is a kind of verbal ceasefire. That’s good but it’s not good enough,” he told the French broadcaster BFM, saying he expected Turkey to take concrete steps to take concrete action on subjects deemed “sensitive” by Paris, particularly in regards to Ankara’s foreign policy in Libya and the eastern Mediterranean.
Following the NATO meeting, Macron said he hoped the two countries could move forward with "clarity" and "respect."
