13 Sep 2020; MEMO: Recalling France’s massacres in Algeria and Rwanda, the Turkish president said the French president “cannot lecture us on humanity”, Anadolu Agency reported.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came at a symposium held on Democracy and Freedom Island against coup.
In a direct reference to President Emmanuel Macron, Erdogan said “You [Macron] have no knowledge of history. You do not know the history of France.”
“You cannot lecture us on humanity,” he added, recalling the massacres in Algeria where some 1 million people were killed and in Rwanda where 800,000 people were murdered.
“Do not mess with Turkey and Turkish people,” Erdogan added.
Earlier on Thursday, ahead of a summit of southern EU member states, Macron reportedly said: “We must be tough with the Turkish government and not with the Turkish people, who deserve more than the Erdogan government.”
“Turkey is no longer a partner in the Mediterranean region,” said the French president, claiming NATO ally Turkey had some unacceptable encounters with a French ship off the coast of Libya.
Turkey on Thursday condemned Macron over his “arrogant” remarks made with “colonial reflexes”. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Macron endangers EU interests with his “individual and nationalistic stance.”
