'You cannot lecture us on humanity,' Erdoğan tells Macron

Recalling France’s massacres in Algeria and Rwanda, the Turkish president said the French president “cannot lecture us on humanity.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks came at a symposium held on Democracy and Freedom Island against coup.

In a direct reference to President Emmanuel Macron, Erdogan said “You [Macron] have no knowledge of history. You do not know the history of France.”

“You cannot lecture us on humanity,” he added, recalling the massacres in Algeria where some 1 million people were killed and in Rwanda where 800,000 people were murdered.

“Do not mess with Turkey and Turkish people,” Erdogan added.

Earlier on Thursday, ahead of a summit of southern EU member states, Macron reportedly said: “We must be tough with the Turkish government and not with the Turkish people, who deserve more than the Erdogan government.”

“Turkey is no longer a partner in the Mediterranean region,” said the French president, claiming NATO ally Turkey had some unacceptable encounters with a French ship off the coast of Libya.

Turkey on Thursday condemned Macron over his “arrogant” remarks made with “colonial reflexes”. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Macron endangers EU interests with his “individual and nationalistic stance.”