Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Turkey and France will continue to enjoy friendly relations despite past tension on some issues.
"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," Çavuşoğlu wrote in an op-ed for the French daily L'Opinion.
Recalling the failures of previous initiatives between the two sides of the island, Çavuşoğlu said Ankara believes that only efforts based on the principles of sovereign equality and equal international status stand a chance of reaching a solution.
Turning to tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey and France can together support a lasting peace that would benefit the prosperity of the two nations in question.
"Using and distorting history for political ends has never made it possible to resolve a dispute or realize justice," Daily Sabah cited him as saying.
If the unfounded claims of extremist Armenians could be prevented from taking Turkish-French relations hostage, he said, the two countries could better contribute to the stability of the South Caucasus through their joint efforts.
