French President Should Check His Own 'Brain Death' - Erdogan on Macron's NATO Comment

In an interview with The Economist in early November, French President Emmanuel Macron said that European countries could no longer rely on the United States to defend North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, adding that "what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday slammed a comment by the French president about NATO during the latter's recent interview with The Economist, saying that Macron's views on the bloc reflect a "sick and shallow" understanding.

According to the Turkish president, Macron should first check his own "brain death" before making such comments in reference to NATO. 

"I am talking to France's President Emmanuel Macron, and I will also say this to 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 in a televised speech.

Macron's 'Brain Death' Comment Unfair to NATO, French People

NATO is not to blame for France’s poor policy choices and increasing irrelevance within the organisation, Turkey’s communications director said on Friday.

"NATO can be more relevant and effective if we work together. To blame the organisation for one’s own foreign policy challenges, poor policy choices, increasing strategic irrelevance, and domestic consideration is unfair to NATO. It is unfair to the French people as well", Fahrettin Altun wrote on Twitter.

NATO can be more relevant and effective if we work together.

To blame the organization for one’s own foreign policy challenges, poor policy choices, increasing strategic irrelevance, and domestic consideration is unfair to NATO.

It is unfair to the French people as well.

— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) 28 ноября 2019 г.

​Altun called for NATO states to pay greater attention to each others' national security issues.

"In every leaders’ summit, we put forward our recommendations and call on our fellow members to understand the national security concerns of Turkey", Ankara's communications director wrote in another tweet.

The day before, Macron said his comments about NATO experiencing "brain death" may have been a wake-up call for the alliance.

In an interview with The Economist in early November, Macron said that European countries could no longer rely on the United States to defend North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, adding that "what we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO".

The statement has led to a flurry of responses from allies defending NATO.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, ripped Macron for his "drastic words" and argued that NATO remained a key pillar of Germany's security.