Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls into question "the mental health" of Emmanuel Macron

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara, October 14, 2020. Murat Cetinmuhurdar / Presidential Press Office / Handout via REUTE

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

The French presidency this Saturday, October 24 denounced remarks deemed "unacceptable" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who questioned "the mental health" of his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron because of his attitude towards Muslims and the project of French law on "separatism".

Paris denounced "insults" and announced the recall for consultation with its ambassador in Ankara, the Turkish capital.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Istanbul,

 Anne Andlauer

In the many cases which oppose Paris and Ankara in recent months, Recep Tayyip Erdogan obviously does not intend to dispassionate the debate, that is to say to depersonalize it, since he continues to attack by name to Emmanuel Macron.

This time, it is therefore the declarations of the French president on "Islamist separatism" and the

draft law in preparation

which give the Turkish head of state the opportunity to challenge Emmanuel Macron in a broadcast speech, as always. , by all news channels:

What is the problem of this individual named Macron with Islam and with Muslims?"

Macron needs to be mentally treated.

What else can you say to a head of state who treats millions of members of different religious communities in this way? 

"

European "

anti-Turkey

 "

bloc 

Before Emmanuel Macron's speeches on separatism, the Turkish president mainly denounced France's foreign policy.

In Syria, Libya, the Eastern Mediterranean, or in

Nagorno-Karabakh

most recently, Emmanuel Macron is seen in Ankara as one of the leaders of a European bloc described as “ 

anti-Turkey

 ”.

Here, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's charge against the French bill to fight radical Islam is linked both to his ideological ambition to stand as a defender of Muslim minorities in the world, but also to concrete concerns of power Turkish.

In this case, concerns about the blows that this project could bring to the influence of Ankara on Islam in France.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Turkey

  • France

  • Diplomacy

  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan

  • Emmanuel Macron

On the same subject

France: the government wants to tighten the control of associations to fight against "separatism"

Emmanuel Macron announces "strong" measures to fight against communitarianism

How Macron wants to fight against "Islamist separatism"