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The presidents of Turkey and France have exchanged letters to address their personal and regional differences, helping to create a roadmap to improve relations, Turkish Minister of Foreign AffairsMevlut Cavusoglu told a group of journalists on Friday.

Cavusoglu said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan first sent a letter to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to wish him a happy new year and convey his sadnessover recent terror attacks.

Following the letter, the French governmentproposed four areas of collaboration: bilateral consultations, counter-terrorism, regional issues such as Syria and Libya, and a partnership on education, Cavusoglu added.

"Earlier this week we received Macron's letter. Very positive. Macron started his letter with a Turkish salutation, handwritten, 'Dear Tayyip'," Cavusoglu said. "Macron expressed his willingness to meet the president to deepen relations and discuss European [affairs]."

Biden cold shoulders Erdogan as request for call left unanswered

Erdogan, according to Cavusoglu, would like to meet Macron in person, but first the two leaders are expected to talk soon via videoconference.

The move itself is a stark change for both sides, considering the personal attacks they levied on each other throughout the last year.

Erdogan just last month said that France needs to immediately get rid of Macron. He twice suggested the French presidentneeded to undergo a mental health check becausehe was getting France involved in regional conflicts in which it had no interests.

And Macron over and over called for sanctions against Turkey's actions in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkish ships last year conducted seismic research in disputed seawaters.

The dispute intensified in October with Erdogan's call for a boycott of French products, following Macron's apparent support for Charlie Hebdo magazine's caricatures about the Prophet Muhammad.

Turkish officials would like to improve their ties with France due to the incoming Biden administration in the US, which is expected to have friendlier relations with Paris.

Erdogan hasalready made a series of overtures towards Israel, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and Greece to make room for manoeuvre, ahead of Biden's swearing in on Wednesday.

This article is available in French onMiddle East Eye French edition.

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'Dear Tayyip': Erdogan and Macron exchanged letters to repair ties - Middle East Eye

FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a meeting with EU Council President Charles Michel in Brussels, Belgium March 9, 2020. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan told European Council President Charles Michel in a call that Turkey wants to build its future with the EU, calling for Ankara and the bloc to move on from a vicious cycle in ties, the Turkish presidency said late on Tuesday.

At a summit on Friday, EU leaders agreed to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over a row with members Greece and Cyprus over hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, but postponed discussions on any harsher steps until March.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after the summit that EU leaders planned to discuss weapons exports to Turkey with NATO allies following a Greek push for an arms embargo on Ankara.

The Turkish presidency said that Erdogan urged Michel to take a more constructive approach toward Turkey.

During the call, President Erdogan stated that Turkey aimed to build its future with the EU, and that they considered every positive step in Turkey-EU ties as a window of opportunity, the presidency said.

Erdogan also reiterated that Turkey was ready to launch bilateral talks with Greece on their maritime claims, but accused Athens of running from talks. He repeated a call for a regional east Mediterranean conference.

Turkey sent a seismic exploration vessel into waters also claimed by Greece in August, stoking tensions. The EU, led by Germany, has sought without success to resolve the dispute. Turkey has repeatedly accused the bloc of being biased.

Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans

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Turkey's Erdogan, EU's Michel discussed EU summit in call - Reuters

Following its Turkey-backed war of conquest, Azeri soldiers have desecrated graves, churches and tortured, even killed, Armenian civilians and POWs, MEP Charlie Weimers (Sweden) said at the Debate on Recent developments in the Eastern Partnership.

He stressed that Europe needs to punish, not reward the actions of Aliyev and Erdogan.

He called attention to the torture of Armenian civilians and prisoners of war, mutilation of corpses, desecration of churches and tombstones.

While troops marched victoriously through Baku, Turkeys inspiring sultan, President Erdogan revered the souls that committed the Armenian Genocide, the Islamic army of the Caucasus. Armenias capital and several provinces were declared historical Azerbaijani lands by Azerbaijans dictator President Aliyev, Charlie Weimers stated.

Azerbaijan is an EU Eastern Partnership country, which means we shower them with EU funds, That needs to stop. We need sanctions against Azerbaijan and Turkey for their neo-Ottoman war of aggression, the MEP stressed.

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Europe needs to punish, not reward the actions of Aliyev and Erdogan MEP Charlie Weimers - Public Radio of Armenia

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards.

"We see ourselves as an inseparable part of Europe... However this does not mean that we will bow down to overt attacks to our country and nation, veiled injustices and double standards," Erdogan said in a speech to the members of its AK Party.

Turkey's drilling activities in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions with the EU as Turkey locked in a dispute with and Greece and Cyprus over the extent of their continental shelves and hydrocarbon resources.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this month that Turkey's rhetoric on Cyprus was aggravating tensions with the EU and Ankara had to understand that its behaviour was "widening its separation" from the bloc.

The EU will discuss Turkey's pursuit of natural gas exploration in contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean at their next summit in December, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

"We do not believe that we have any problems with countries or institutions that cannot be solved through politics, dialogue and negotiations," Erdogan said.

Erdogan, connected to the event through videolink, said that the EU should keep its promises regarding the migrants issue and making Turkey a full member of the bloc. He was referring to a 2016 deal under which Ankara curbed migrant entries into Europe in exchange for financial help and visa-free travel in the Schengen region.

Turkey recently extended the seismic survey work being carried out by its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 29, according to a naval notice.

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Erdogan Says Turkey Sees Itself as Part of Europe - Voice of America

Speaking during a virtual meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Turkey's president said member states have been working on cooperating to solve economic problems for some time, but are yet to achieve the coordination they want.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Muslim-majority countries to step up unique efforts to ease currency pressure on our economies, including using local currencies for trade."

Speaking during a virtual meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) on Wednesday, Erdogan said COMCEC members have been working on this for some time, but have yet to achieve the coordination they want.

Turkey has long advocated more use of local currencies for international trade instead of the dollar or euro.

"As Islamic countries, the more we produce, the more we strengthen our economies, he stressed.

We should take steps towards value-added production and trade instead of export structures based on raw materials or semi-finished products," the president added.

READ MORE:Turkey pledges to enhance financial institutions, democracy

The future will see the worlds interest-based economic system replaced by participation based on risk-sharing, said Erdogan.

"In this case, it is important to expand the use of products such as Sukuk to finance large long-term infrastructure investments," he said.

A Sukuk is an Islamic financial certificate, similar to a bond in Western finance, which complies with Islamic law.

Saying that COMCEC countries should take active measures to prevent the coronavirus pandemic from harming foreign trade, Erdogan added, "The steps we will take to boost trade among COMCEC member countries are important."

Islamophobia protected by European heads of state

On anti-Muslim sentiment, Erdogan said that in some European countries the plague has become a policy that is personally protected by the head of state.

In recent days,Erdoganhas singled out French President Emmanuel Macron for his anti-Muslim policies.

Muslims are being subjected to the same campaign of hatred that Jews faced in Europe before World War II,Erdogantold the meeting.

Fighting anti-Islam prejudice and xenophobia is a requirement of our responsibility towards our brothers and sisters living in those lands, Erdogan stressed, adding that Islamic countries have to fight the cultural racism that surrounds the West like a plague within law and democracy by using international platforms.

Last month, Macron accused French Muslims of "separatism," and described Islam as a "religion in crisis."

Macron's remarks and his defense of offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad have triggered boycotts of French products in several countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Sudan, Palestine, and Morocco.

'Taking care of Jerusalem program'

We have launched a new program within COMCEC to take care of Jerusalem, a holy city for Muslims and possible capital of a Palestinian state, Erdogan said.

Through this program, we aim to both strengthen its economy and improve the socio-economic situation of the people of Jerusalem, he said.

COMCEC member states are sure to fully support the program, which will enhance the welfare of people in the occupied holy city, he said.

The unity, solidarity, and effective cooperation among us will be the key to our success in the Palestinian cause and in other fields, he said.

Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The Palestinians want the territories back for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

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Erdogan calls on Islamic nations to work together to ease currency pressure - TRT World