Thousands of people took to the streets of the French capital and other European cities on Saturday to protest Turkey's military offensive against Kurdish forces in war-torn Syria.
Asked about the tense diplomatic relations surrounding the match, Gunes called on Turkish fans to enjoy the game as his side attempt to close in on a place at Euro 2020.
"I'm expecting a good atmosphere," Gunes, whose side are level with France on 18 points at the top of Group H, told reporters Sunday. "Sometimes there are provocations in the stands but I want to address the Turkish supporters: if they come to see a match, it's to enjoy watching football. I want them to applaud both teams, France as well. Football is a fraternity, the beautiful game. It's a sport where everyone is brought together. I hope fans will be in a spirit of brotherhood."
The Turkish offensive began on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered American troops to pull back from the border area of north-east Syria. Turkey players performed a military salute, a gesture seen as supporting their country's armed offensive, after Cenk Tosun scored a 90th-minute winner in Friday's 1-0 victory over Albania in Istanbul. Gunes, however, refused to be drawn into a political debate over the incident.
"I don't want to make any political declarations, but our children could be these soldiers," he said. "I don't want there to be any deaths. I don't want these debates to override the match. We encourage our soldiers but I'm against any sort of violence."
Turkey beat France 2-0 in the reverse fixture in Konya in June and could qualify with another win at the Stade de France. "We're playing against the world champions. We can win or lose and a draw would be a good result for us," said Gunes. "But whatever the result I hope the two teams will congratulate each other, not just on the pitch but in the stands, in doing this we are contributing to world peace."