US steps against Ankara could destabilise region: Turkish FinMin

Recent steps taken by the United States against Turkey are politically motivated and could serve to ultimately bolster regional terrorism and the refugee crisis, Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said on Monday.

Albayrak, speaking at a news conference in Paris following a meeting with his French counterpart, Bruno Le Maire, also said that Turkey wanted to increase trade with France - now at 14 billion euros - to 20 billion euros.

"These steps taken with political motivation will not only impact the global financial system but also global trade and regional stability," Albayrak, who is the son-in-law of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, said.

"With the damage (the steps) will cause to regional stability, they will unfortunately contribute to chaotic problems that feed terrorism and also the refugee crisis."

Albayrak said Turkey wanted to take its relations with the European Union to a new phase where trade with the bloc is more important.

Recent unilateral steps taken by the United States had shown that relations between Turkey and the EU, namely France, were more important than ever, he said.

Albayrak also said France and Turkey shared the same position against one-sided decisions by the United States regarding Iran, and that they had decided to take joint steps in this regard.