French defence minister to visit Turkey

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is due to visit Turkey on March 28, Turkish media reported on Monday. During his visit, the French Minister is to discuss with senior Turkish officials ways of bolstering bilateral relations, especially joint cooperation in defense field, Turkish Ihlas News Agency mentioned. Also, the Syrian file would be discussed largely, the Turkish agency added, noting that lifting of arms ban to Syrian opposition would be core of the talks. In addition, the two sides are expected to discuss subjects such as withdrawal of French forces working with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan, as well as French military operations in Mali, said Ihlas News Agency.