Macron’s criticism of Syria invasion ‘sick and shallow’, says

ErdoganAg AFPISTANBUL: The dispute within Nato over Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria escalated on Friday when the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, responded to criticism from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, by saying that Macron needed to check whether he was brain dead.Claiming Macron was inexperienced and did not know what terror was, Erdogan said Macron’s criticisms of the Turkish invasion reflected “a sick and shallow understanding”.He also warned Macron against any attempt to expel Turkey from Nato, saying it was not up to the French president. There is no provision within Nato for one of its members to be expelled.“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 in a televised speech.The row between the two men was sparked when Macron said in an Economist interview that he feared Nato’s “brain death”, citing the lack of coordination between Nato allies over Turkey’s “crazy” invasion of Kurdish territories in Syria on 9 October.Without consulting Nato allies, Donald Trump gave Turkey a green light to start the invasion, a move that has led to widespread violence, a humanitarian catastrophe and a strengthening of the positions of both Russia and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. It has also diverted Kurdish fighters away from operations combatting Islamic State.The US president, under huge domestic and political pressure, has held back from withdrawing all remaining US troops from north-east Syria, and instead tried to negotiate a halt to Turkish activity. Turkey’s operation seems to be on hold, except for clashes in two strategic towns, Tal Tamr and Ain Issa.Leading European powers, the UK, France and Germany, will meet with Erdogan in Downing Street on Tuesday ahead of the main Nato leaders’ meeting on Wednesday. Trump is not due to attend, although he is scheduled to be in London.But Erdogan said in advance of the meeting: “I’m addressing Mr Macron from Turkey and I will say it at Nato: you should check whether you are brain dead first.” He added: “It’s not up to Macron to discuss whether Turkey should stay in Nato or should be expelled.”

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