The newly appointed French Ambassador to Turkey, Isabelle Dumont, who before her appointment served as an adviser on European-Turkish relations to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, is set to resume her role as the head of mission at the French embassy in Turkey’s capital, Ankara.
Her appointment and resumption come at a time when the European Union (EU), including France, is seeking ways to engage a repentant Turkey, thereby reaching a rapprochement.
French-Turkish relations fell through between 2019 and 2021 and, as a direct result, caused serious tensions. The activities of the Turkish Army in the Eastern Mediterranean and on the Syrian border were largely responsible for the diplomatic breakdown.
The efforts of the Turkish government to see to the resolution of all outstanding disputes explain France’s new approach.
It is a government policy under the returned government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Turkey to demonstrate intent towards enhancing relations with the EU. This policy has changed the tone of relations between Turkey and the EU, thereby opening a vista of communication across all key nations within the EU.
Ambassador Dumont was appointed the French Ambassador to Turkey in May with the expectation that her years of experience would help mold French-Turkey relations. She is expected to take over from Ambassador Hervé Magro, who until now was the head of the French diplomatic mission in Ankara.
