This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
French President Emmanuel Macron's recent criticism of NATO has sparked a heated exchange between Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just days before the two leaders are set to meet at a NATO summit in England.
On November 29, 2019, Erdogan used a televised speech to launch a stunning attack on Macron, referencing Macron's claim that NATO was suffering 'brain death' due to a lack of strategic cooperation among members.
'I am talking to France's President Emmanuel Macron, and I will also say this at NATO. First of all, have your own brain death checked. These statements are suitable only to people like you who are in a state of brain death,' Erdogan said.
Erdogan also accused Macron of being 'very inexperienced' and not knowing what fighting against terrorism is, referencing the protests that badly rattled Macron's government last year.
'You know how to show off but you cannot even properly pay for NATO. You are a novice,' Erdogan said.
The French government responded by saying it would summon the Turkish ambassador in Paris for talks over the broadside, the second time it has called in the envoy in as many months.
The war of words adds to the tensions among NATO members that threaten to overshadow next week's summit, where national leaders will be bracing for a scrap over spending and how to deal with Russia.
