World Bulletin / News Desk

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the U.S. could not be called a civilized country.

"What do they call America? The cradle of democracy. Such a thing cannot be a democracy and its name cannot be democracy," he said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.

"If America issues arrest warrants for my 13 bodyguards in a country where I went upon invitation, I'm sorry, but I will not say that country is civilized," Erdogan said at the Civilizations Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul.
On June 15, the U.S. issued arrest warrants for 16 people including Erdogan's bodyguards allegedly linked with a brawl outside the Turkish embassy in Washington during the Turkish president's visit in May.
The president said he and his security team faced threats during his visit. "They [security guards] took measures for us. And even two of them [guards] were not even there. Can there be such justice?" he added.

Erdogan criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's policy regarding Muslims saying Turkey never closed its doors to people who thought differently.

"Muslims in America are facing expulsion so it means there is a problem in the country," he said, adding he had doubts on Trump's ability to "judge" a civilization.