Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the killing of African-American George Floyd as “racist” and “fascist” during his arrest by white police in Minneapolis, USA.
Given Turkey’s poor record regarding issues of democracy and human rights, Erdogan’s remarks could upset Washington as Ankara seeks to restore bilateral ties that have deteriorated significantly since 2016.
In a Tweet Friday night, the Turkish president denounced “the racist and fascist approach that led to the death of George Floyd in the American city of Minneapolis after torture”.
Floyd, 46, was killed on Monday night after being arrested.
Turkey’s President Erdogan underwent surgery for cancer, suffers from epilepsy
The police who arrested him stopped him on the ground and one of them had his knee on his neck for an hour. “I can’t breathe,” Floyd said in a video taken by an eyewitness before he died.
“I am convinced that those who committed this inhumane act will receive the punishment they deserve. We will monitor the case”, Erdogan said.
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