Macron ‘needs treatment’ over attitude to Muslims, says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, needs treatment and ‘mental checks’ over his attitude towards Muslims and Islam. The statement had lead Paris to recall its ambassador in Ankara.

Earlier this month, Macron pledged to fight ‘Islamist separatism’, which he said was threatening to take control of some Muslim communities around France, drawing a sharp rebuke from Erdogan.

The Turkish president said on 6 October after Macron’s initial comments on ‘Islamist separatism’, that the remark were ‘a clear provocation’ and showed the French leader’s ‘impertinence’.

Macron this month also described Islam as a religion ‘in crisis’ worldwide and said the government would present a bill in December to strengthen a 1905 law that officially separated church and state in France.

Erdogan and Macron discussed their disagreements in a phone call last month and agreed to improve ties and keep communication channels open.

Erdogan, a pious Muslim, and his conservative AK party have ruled Turkey for 18 years after taking over the nation of 75 million people during a political crisis and economic downturn in 2002.