Macron a 'burden' on France: Erdogan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Macron is a “burden” for France and hopes the country “will get rid of him as soon as possible.”

“Macron is a burden on France. Macron and France are going through a very dangerous period actually,” Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers, according to Turkish state media TRT.

“My hope is that France gets rid of the Macron trouble as soon as possible,” he added.

France’s next presidential election is set to take place next year.

Tensions between France and Turkey have flared over a number of issues, including the beheading of a schoolteacher who showed a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed, France’s condemnation of Operation Peace Spring, and France accusing Turkey of fueling fighting by intervening between Armenia and Azerbaijan over  the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh.

This is not the first time Erdogan has hit out at the French leader. Paris recalled its envoy in Istanbul in October after the Turkish president said Macron needed “mental checks.” 

France banned the Grey Wolves – a Turkish ultranationalist group – in November after supporters stormed through the streets of  towns near Lyon, stoking fear among Armenians in the area. The move further stoked tension between France and Turkey – with the Turkish foreign ministry saying Paris was making “imaginary decisions.”

France condemned Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring into northeast Syria in 2019, prompting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to accuse France of “supporting terrorism.”

"He is already the sponsor of the terrorist organization and constantly hosts them at the Elysee. If he says his ally is the terrorist organization ... Macron's words, in my eyes, have no meaning," Cavusoglu said.