Turkish people have called for a formal apology after French professor and former diplomat Philippe Moreau Defarges made a controversial comment about the assassination of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an option to get rid of him.

Defarges reportedly made the remarks during a discussion on Turkey’s April 16 referendum in a program on the French TV channel, BFM Business.

The French expert, who works at the French Institute of International Relations, said civil war was another option to break the “deadlock” in Turkey.

He also justified his argument about the assassination by saying that such actions had been taken in history for centuries.

Defarges also said Turkey would not become an EU member even if it signed an accession deal since each EU member state would need to approve it.

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A large number of Turks living in France asked for an apology from the French Institute of International Relations and the TV channel that hosted Defarges.

Several complaints were also made on social media and to the French Radio and Television Supreme Council.