Erdogan Expresses Hope That France Will ‘Get Rid Of Macron’ As Soon As Possible

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said over the weekend he hopes France will get rid of Emmanuel Macron as soon as possible, the latest salvo in an escalating war of words between the two leaders. Turkey and France are entrapped in a series of disputes, from tensions in the eastern Mediterranean to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.

And the spat has risen to new levels in recent months as France has moved to crack down on Islamist extremism after several attacks on French soil. Mr. Erdogan has repeatedly suggested that Mr. Macron get “mental checks” and urged the Turkish people to boycott French-labelled products. On Friday, Mr. Ergodan said France should get rid of Mr. Macron “otherwise they will not be able to get rid of yellow vests,” referring to the protest movement that began in France in 2018. “Yellow vests could later turn into red vests,” Mr. Erdogan said, without elaborating.