Davutoglu told reporters at a joint news conference with French counterpart Bernard Kouchner that Turkey was seeking France's “active support” for the start of negotiations on a number of policy areas.
Turkey started entry talks with the European Union five years ago, but negotiations on several policy areas have stalled or have been suspended because of Turkey's refusal to open its ports to trade with EU-member Cyprus as well as opposition in France and other European countries' to letting a populous, Muslim nation into the 27-nation bloc.
Kouchner said Turkey and the EU could start talks on three of the negotiation areas, but said Turkey needed to carry out more reforms before the negotiations can begin.
“The ball is in your court,” Kouchner said.
Turkey has said it will not allow Cyprus to use its ports until a comprehensive solution is found for the island and until Turkish Cypriots are allowed to trade with the EU. Cyprus was split along ethnic lines in 1974, when Turkey invaded in response to a short-lived coup by supporters of uniting the island with Greece.
Turkey needs to complete negotiations over 35 policy areas in order to bring its institutions and legislation in line with those of the EU.
Davutoglu reiterated Turkey's stance that it was being treated unfairly by the EU because of its dispute with Cyprus. Turkey complains that the Greek Cypriots were admitted into the EU even after rejecting a UN peace deal to reunify the island — which the Turkish Cypriots had accepted in simultaneous referendums in 2004.
