President Macron spoke on the phone this morning to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The discussion focused on the economic and financial situation in Turkey. President Macron reaffirmed the strong economic and trade ties between the EU and Turkey and stressed his commitment to a stable and prosperous Turkey. He assured President Erdoğan of France’s support in this respect.

President Macron also welcomed the announcement of the release of Taner Kɪlɪç, Chairman of Amnesty International in Turkey, as well as that of the Greek soldiers detained in Turkey.

The discussion focused extensively on Syria. President Macron expressed his concern about the situation in Idlib and the humanitarian, security and political consequences that would result from a military offensive by the regime in that region.

In this respect, he emphasized the importance of Turkey’s role and of discussions with all countries concerned, including Russia and the United States, in order to avoid an escalation, and called for strengthened bilateral exchanges between France and Turkey in the coming weeks.

The two presidents agreed on the need to step up joint efforts to promote a credible and inclusive political process, the only way to guarantee the stability and unity of Syria and to allow, in due course, the safe, dignified and voluntary return of the refugees, in accordance with UNHCR conditions. In this respect, France and Turkey will work together to ensure convergence between the work of the Small Group and that of the Astana format.