French President Macron claims that President Erdogan’s Turkey is ‘deplorable’

Turkish minister of foreign affairs Hami Aksoy has called French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statements about Turkey’s inability to join the European Union “deplorable.” Aksoy later stated that, “We deplore some of Macron’s remarks about our country and the E.U. membership process,” in an interview with Anadolu Agency this week, Turkey’s state-sponsored media outlet.

President Macron claimed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a “pan-Islamic project, which is regularly presented as anti-European and whose measures regularly go against our principles.” He added, “Do we think today that in a clear and honest manner we can continue accession negotiations with Turkey [to join] the European Union?” This was all said on Monday at Elysee Palace during the yearly French ambassadors’ meeting. The French president added that President Erdogan does not run the nation as a democratic society and that that the nation is “not the Turkey of President Kemal.” This last statement was in reference to a former leader, and founder of the Turkish Republic, whose motto was, “Science is the only true guide in life.” This is a far cry from Erdogan’s Islamic heavy society and strong-arm politics.

Minister Aksoy claimed that President Macron’s comments caused a great deal of “sadness” and further demonstrated that the French leader “far from understands Turkey’s realities.” The leaders of the European Union have shown little interest in Turkey after Erdogan was reelected during this past June election, either believing that Turkey has nothing to offer or warrants little concern. The Islamic nation recently switched from a parliamentary-based government to a presidentially based one. Now the United States is dropping tariffs and sanctions against them due to ongoing tensions revolving around northern Syria and an imprisoned American pastor. The European financial system could offer a saving branch to the Turkish nation but that is highly unlikely to occur given many world leaders’ disdain for President Erdogan and his administration.