The French president has cited talking to his Turkish counterpart in every 10 days as an evidence that being on the global stage is not really a “cool situation.”
In an interview with Le Point magazine, Emmanuel Macron said: “I am the one who has to talk with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan every 10 days.” The last time the two leaders talked was on Aug. 27, when Mr. Macron pressed Mr. Erdogan to release imprisoned French journalist.
New French president’s candid remarks about the Turkish president will likely prompt response from Mr. Erdogan, who likes to mock European leaders on a frequent basis.
In few hours after BBC’s Turkish Service translated Mr. Macron’s remarks, the social media lit up in Turkey. The French president’s complaint was trending on Twitter in Turkey early on Thursday, with many even questioning if the statement is authentic.