'I won't decode Macron's comment', says Turkey’s Erdoğan
Giving statements to journalists after the Friday prayers in İstanbul’s Üsküdar on the first day of Eid, Turkey’s president Erdoğan commented on France’s President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statements where he had said ‘his job as a world leader was not cool’, giving reference to his obligation to speak to Erdoğan often.
Answering journalists’ question on the topic, Erdoğan said: “Honestly, I am not at a point to decode what he has meant to say.
That should be found out by asking Mr. Macron. I know only one thing: since they have requested a meeting, I would not like to reject that request”.
Saying he would prefer increasing the number of ‘friends of Turkey’ and decrease the number of those ‘looking at Turkey with an evil eye’, Erdoğan added: “I do not see any negativity in those statements given to that journal (by Macron). On the contrary, I see it as a plus for them to have the chance to speak with Turkey’s president”.
In his statements, Erdoğan also mentioned the massacre in Arakan and expressed his sadness over it, saying ‘the Muslim world is marking Eid this year in sorrow’.
When responding to questions on a recent indictment by the US against 19 people – 15 of whom are Erdoğan’s security guards – who were involved in the violent attack on protesters in Washington, DC back in May during Erdoğan’s meeting with Trump, Erdoğan referred to the attacked protestres as ‘PKK members’ and said his guards had to intervene ‘because US security teams failed to do so’.
Erdoğan continued with the following remarks: “That prosecutor (who is handling the case) is a prosecutor from Obama’s administration. It does not matter for us that an indictment is prepared. During our next visit, we are going to talk (over it) with Mr. Trump, if we get a chance. Foreign and justice ministries are currently holding the necessasry talks”.