World-famous French writer Jean-Christophe Grange, who visited Turkey two months ago, has expressed a longing for the time when he was in the country.

"I am sincerely saying, I feel melancholic when I think of Turkey. I will come back very soon," he said in a video message on the French Institute's Turkish Facebook page.

Grange, who is also a journalist and screenplay writer, reminisced about the times he spent in the Turkish capital Ankara, which he visited in March to attend a book fair. His visit was sponsored by the institute.

"Right before the lockdown in Paris, I was in Turkey ... I searched for masks everywhere in Ankara because there weren't any left in Paris," he said. "I was greatly welcomed by Turkish readers."

He added: "Then as I came to Paris, borders were closed ... I have very good memories of the days I spent in Ankara."

Grange claims to have written 300 pages of an upcoming novel during his time under coronavirus lockdown in the French capital.