"We are not naive but we want to re-engage with Turkey in good faith," French President Emmanuel Macron has said, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Macron's remarks came amid heightened tensions over the Eastern Mediterranean.
The president made the statements after the summit of seven European Union Mediterranean leaders in Corsica.
"It is genuinely by restoring normal relations which allow stability in the region with Turkey, to obtain the end of unilateral actions," he added.
Earlier on the same day, Turkey blasted Macron for his remarks targeting the country and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The Foreign Ministry in a statement said Macron once again made an arrogant remark that reflected old colonialist reflexes.
"In fact, Macron's statements are a manifestation of his own incompetence and despair. The world has left behind the days when they freely acted. Macron, whose sneaky foreign policy plans were spoiled by us, attacks Turkey and our president every day with a grudge," it added.
The statement added that Macron endangers the EU's interests with his "individual and nationalistic stance."
Macron on Thursday urged Europe to show a united front against the "unacceptable" conduct of Turkey as he prepared to host a summit of Mediterranean states expected to be dominated by growing tensions with Ankara.
France has strongly backed Greece in a growing standoff with Turkey over hydrocarbon resources and naval influence in the Eastern Mediterranean that has sparked fears of more severe conflict.
Greek media said the possible sale by France of Rafale fighter jets could be on the table, in a sign of the increasingly strong alliance between Paris and Athens.
Turkey and Greece have been at odds over numerous topics, but the recent issue of gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean has especially heightened tensions between the two neighbors.
Greece seeks to block Turkey's exploration of energy resources in the region, which Ankara says is well within its rights. Athens has attempted to restrict Turkey's maritime territory, trying to box it into its shores based on a small number of Greek islands' proximity to the Turkish coast.
Ankara has long been reiterating its aim of negotiating with Athens without preconditions for a fair share that will preserve the rights of all sides in the region. Turkey has also said energy resources near Cyprus must be shared fairly between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Greek defense sources last month announced joint military drills in the Eastern Mediterranean along with France, another country that has sought to hem in Turkey’s maritime territory. The exercise, including two French Rafale fighter jets, was held off the island of Crete after France announced that it would beef up its military presence in the region.
France in late August had also deployed military jets to the Greek side of the island of Cyprus under the pretext that they are holding a drill with Greece and Italy, which was criticized by Turkey for being against the 1960 treaties on Cyprus.
