Erdogan: Macron’s remarks on Islam clear provocation

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) – The French president’s recent claims about Islam amount to a dangerous provocation, Turkey’s president said on Tuesday.

“[Emmanuel] Macron's statement on ‘Islam is in crisis’ in a city where Muslims are the majority go beyond disrespect and are a clear provocation,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a gathering of mosque and religious workers in the Turkish capital Ankara.

A French president making statements urging the restructuring of Islam is "rude,” Erdogan added.

Last Friday, Macron announced a controversial plan against so-called "Islamist separatism" in the country.

In a speech in the western Paris suburb of Les Mureaux – an area with a large Muslim population – Macron claimed that Islam is "experiencing a crisis across the world".

The statement sparked criticism among Muslims worldwide.

"Attacking Muslims has become one of the most important tools for European politicians to hide their failure," Erdogan stressed.

Erdogan urged Macron to act like a responsible statesman, rather than pretending to be a colonial governor.

In many Western countries, racism and Islamophobia are safeguarded by the state itself, he added.