Turkey slams Macron's 'arrogant' comments on eastern Med

ANKARA

French President Emmanuel Macron has been continuing his verbal attacks against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan because Turkey has already dashed Paris’ “sneaky” plans in foreign policy, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said, describing Macron’s recent statements as arrogant and reflecting his country’s ancient colonialist instincts.

“Macron’s statements are the reflection of his incompetence and despair,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Sept. 10, in response to Macron’s remarks on the occasion of a meeting with the participation of the EU’s Mediterranean countries.

“We must be tough with the Turkish government and not with the Turkish people, who deserve more than the Erdoğan government,” Macron said at the press conference as he urged the EU. Macron described the Turkish activities in the eastern Mediterranean as illegal and called on the Turkish government to end them.

“Macron is jauntily attacking our president every day as we have disrupted their dirty games and dashed their sneaky plans in foreign policy,” read the ministry’s statement.

Erdoğan is one of the leaders elected with one of the most votes in Europe while Macron’s popular support is in decline, it said.

Macron has no authority to define the maritime jurisdiction zones in the eastern Mediterranean and should promote dialogue between Turkey and Greece instead of lending blind support to Greece and Greek Cyprus, the ministry suggested.

Justice and Development Party (AKP) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik also slammed Macron on Twitter.

“Macron continues colonialism, while our president continues to defend the interests of the oppressed people, protect peace and discourage colonialists’ games,” wrote Çelik, in a series of tweets.

Çelik added that he is proud “that the colonialist mentality targets our president.”

Referring to the atrocities discovered after the retreat of Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar, supported by Macron, Çelik said, “Macron is responsible for Haftar’s mass graves. Macron is now trying to play the colonial game in the eastern Mediterranean using Greece.”

“He is trying to carry the game he tried and ruined in Syria to the Mediterranean. He is targeting our president because he [Erdoğan] won’t allow this aggression,” added the spokesperson.