On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron clarified several issues and expressed their joint intention to cooperate in Libya and Syria.
Talks with the Turkish president resulted in a clarification being made in regards to Islam and revealed the two nation's shared desire to work together in Libya and Syria, Macron's office said after the 52-minute meeting.
Macron also highlighted that France’s secularism respects all religions, including Islam. The French presidency said a “clarification” was needed in response to Erdoğan’s tough criticism of Macron’s attitude toward Islam and Muslims, as the French government proposed a bill, which was criticized for being anti-Muslim.
Following the meeting, Macron tweeted that he wants to “move forward” with Turkey toward a demanding and respectful relationship.
Macron said he wants all NATO allies to make a clear commitment to the military organization’s values, principles and rules, according to the French presidency, Daily Sabah reported.
