After his clash with Israeli Shimon Peres, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has now launched a fiery attack against the President of Germany Joachim Gauck, who visited Turkey last week to hold talks with the political leadership and several academics.

Mr. Erdogan accused the German President of lying, for his statements on Monday, addressing university students in Ankara, that the sight of Turkish policemen brutally persecuting protesters was very upsetting for him.

“On the contrary”, replied yesterday President Gauck to the Turkish prime minister, “I was very moderate. I didn’t exaggerate at all”. He added that in Ankara he spoke “not only with those who govern but also with those who are governed”. The German President concluded: “I had the opportunity to comment on critical issues for society, something that is very natural between friends”.

Mr Erdogan said that he “didn’t like the behavior” of the German President, according to his friends and colleagues. He also offered advice to the German official: “A statesman should act like a statesman”, said the Turkish prime minister. Referring to Mr. Gauck he also added: “He must still feel like a pastor — because he was a pastor at one time. He is looking at things from that angle”.

It should be noted that Joachim Gauck was a pastor in East Germany.