We are not a tribal state, Erdoğan tells US over S-400 tension

MALATYA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed the United States for warnings on sanctions against Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense systems and said Turkey is not a “tribal state” that will buckle under threats.

“You do not realize whom you are dancing with. Don’t remain late anyway whatever your sanction is,” he said, addressing his party’s provincial congress in the eastern province of Malatya on Oct. 25.

Erdoğan recalled that Turkey had taken necessary steps for the purchase of F-35 fighter jets, which the U.S. has not delivered, using it as a stick to punish Ankara after the Turkish government finalized the purchase of S-400 missile defense systems.

“We have taken steps for the F-35, we paid our money, you did not deliver our F-35s. You said, ‘return S-400s to Russia.’ We’re not a tribal state. We are Turkey,” he said.

Erdoğan renews call for Macron to ‘undergo mental checks’

Erdoğan also repeated his criticism against his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, and said the French president needs to undergo mental checks.

“You should look at yourself first,” he said about Macron. The French president is a “case,” he said.

“As I said yesterday in Kayseri. He is a case. He needs to be checked,” Erdoğan added.

President Erdoğan slams Macron, says he needs ’mental checks’