Turkey vows to put EU ties ‘back on track’

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he wanted to improve relations with the European Union and was hoping for the same "goodwill" from the 27-nation bloc.

Erdogan’s comments follow a year of tensions involving Turkey’s more assertive foreign policy in the eastern Mediterranean as well as Libya and parts of the Middle East. Turkey’s relations have become especially strained with Greece and European power France as a result.

But the Turkish leader has softened some of his toughest rhetoric and took a conciliatory tone in a televised meeting with EU ambassadors in a presidential compound in Ankara. "We are ready to put our relations back on track," Erdogan told the ambassadors.

"We expect our European friends to show the same goodwill." Turkey and Greece this week agreed to address their long-standing dispute over maritime borders at exploratory talks in Istanbul on January 25.

The meeting will be the first since so-called "exploratory talks" between the two uneasy Nato neighbours were suspended after 60 fruitless rounds stretching 14 years in 2016.

"We believe that the exploratory talks... will be the harbinger of a new era," Erdogan said. He also said he was open to better relations with Paris after months of personal feuds with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"We want to save our relations with France from tensions," Erdogan said.Turkey and Greece this week agreed to address their long-standing row over maritime borders at exploratory talks in Istanbul on January 25.

The meeting will be the first since negotiations between the two uneasy Nato neighbours broke down after 60 fruitless rounds stretching 14 years in 2016."We believe that the exploratory talks with Greece ... will be the harbinger of a new era," Erdogan said.

Erdogan added that he was open to better relations with Paris after months of personal feuds with French President Emmanuel Macron. "We want to save our relations with France from tensions," Erdogan said. The gathering with the president followed a similar meeting on Tuesday between Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, with the EU envoys.

Echoing the president's remarks, Cavusoglu told ambassadors Turkey is determined to press ahead on EU accession reforms as "Turkey is in Europe, and Europe is part of our destiny."After a year of ups and downs, Turkish leaders have said they hope for progress in ties with the EU this year, and expect the bloc to take clear steps towards this goal.

Turkey has been an official candidate for EU membership since 2005, but progress towards its accession has been stalled for years.Cavusoglu highlighted the country's large role in the security of Syria, Libya, the Caucasus, Balkans, the Middle East, and the Black Sea regions.