Erdogan's visit comes as Turkey has seen its decade-long negotiations to join the EU almost grind to a halt and widespread criticism over a far-reaching crackdown against the president's opponents since last year's failed coup. "Friday, I will go to France. We will discuss bilateral relations between France and Turkey," Erdogan said in a televised speech to members of his ruling AKP party.
The announcement follows Erdogan expressing hope for a better relationship with the EU, telling Turkish journalists on Thursday: "I always say this. We must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends." Erdogan launched a huge purge of state institutions after the attempted coup in July 2016; more than 55,000 people have been arrested since then, including journalists, lawyers, opposition politicians and academics.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2017