@sebnemnur,
You don't want to be friends. You want to date this guy again.
And he may sense that. If it didn't work out before, there's nothing saying it can't work out at a later date. And the reverse is also true. It may never work out.
If you contact him and try to make and maintain contact, be honest about your intentions. If you want to rekindle a romance, at least have the guts to say so.