PARIS
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said his country was determined to improve bilateral relations with France.
"We have deep-rooted and historical ties between Turkey and France, and our both countries are committed to move relations forward in a visionary and positive spirit," Davutoglu told a press conference in Paris after a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius on Thursday.
Davutoglu said there would be more frequent high level talks between the two countries' officials and their parliaments, adding that cooperation would be also be boosted in many regional issues.
Davutoglu said France had become "more positive" over Turkey's European Union accession bid, adding that he had called for the removal of France's blocking on five policy areas in Turkey's membership negotiations and that France was likely to assume a more positive stance in that respect.
The Turkish FM said Turkey had lifted sanctions it started imposing on France after a row in January over a French legislation that made it illegal to deny Armenian allegations on the incidents of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey.
The law was later annulled by France's top constitutional authority.
Davutoglu said Turkey was set to open two consulates in Bordeaux and Nantes as well as a culture center in Paris.
