Islam Times - Erdogan Says Macron Needs ‘Mental Checks’ over Attitude to Muslims

Islam Times - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday slammed his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, over his policies toward Muslims, saying that he needed “mental checks.”

“What is the problem of this person called Macron with Muslims and Islam? Macron needs treatment on a mental level,” Erdogan said in a speech at a provincial congress of his AK Party in the central Turkish city of Kayseri.

“What else can be said to a head of state who does not understand freedom of belief and who behaves in this way to millions of people living in his country who are members of a different faith?” he wondered.

Earlier this month, Macron pledged to fight the so-called “Islamist separatism”, which he said was threatening to take control in some Muslim communities around France, drawing a sharp rebuke from Erdogan.

France then witnessed the beheading of a history teacher by a radical extremist, who said he had wanted to avenge the teacher’s use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad (A.S.) in a class on freedom of expression.

The Turkish president said on Oct. 6 after Macron’s initial comments on “Islamist separatism”, that the remarks were “a clear provocation” and showed the French leader’s “impertinence”.