Erdoğan to Macron: Check Your Brain Death

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President of France Emmanuel Macron should check his own head before describing NATO "brain dead", President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said today (November 29) in a rebuff to him.

"French President Mr. Macron, I am telling you in Turkey and I will say at NATO, first check your own brain death," said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, slamming Macron over his remarks that Turkey should not expect NATO support for its anti-terror operation in northern Syria.

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Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Complex at İstanbul's Marmara University, Erdoğan said France has "no right and authority to be in Syria."

"The [Syrian] regime also hasn't invited you there," Erdoğan said, addressing Macron.

"To remove or not to remove Turkey from NATO... Do you have the authority to make such a decision?" Erdoğan added.

Erdoğan went on to say that Turkey "will not hesitate" to carry out Operation Peace Spring, "if the threats to Turkey from the safe zone and beyond cannot be eliminated within a reasonable time."

Turkey on October 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to clear the Kurdish People's Defense Units (YPG) from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River.

Under two separate deals with the US and Russia, Turkey paused the operation to allow the withdrawal of YPG from the planned Syria "safe zone," where Turkey wants to repatriate millions of refugees. (PT/VK)