Boris Johnson diffuses the tension after calling President Erdogan a ‘w***er’ who has sex with goats by praising his Turkish-made washing machine
Foreign Secretary was expected to be greeted with frosty reception after winning competition for offensive poem
BORIS Johnson tried to diffuse the tension after calling President Erdogan a “w***er” who has sex with goats by praising his Turkish-made washing machine.
The Foreign Secretary was expected to be greeted with a frosty reception on his visit to Turkey, months after winning a competition for an offensive poem about the country’s head of state.
And after spearheading the Brexit campaign using claims Turkey was set to join the EU, he needed to use all his diplomatic skills to make himself feel welcome in Ankara.
But in typical BoJo style he managed to get officials on his side by talking up the importance of the relationship between the two countries after Britain's historic vote to leave the EU.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik, he said: "We are lucky in the United Kingdom to be one of the biggest recipients of Turkish goods.
Mr Johnson, who is himself of partly Turkish ancestry, added: "I am certainly the proud possessor of a beautiful, very well-functioning Turkish washing machine.”
The former Mayor of London did not reveal the brand of the much-loved machine in his family household.
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As another example of the strong relationship, Mr Johnson said Turkey every year receives 2.5 million British tourists.
"It's an extraordinary act of kindness, if I may say," he said with typical humour. "I hope they (the tourists) behave themselves...well... I am sure they do," he added.
The visit comes after Mr Johnson won The Spectator magazine’s competition for offensive poetry about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan back in May.
It was launched in response to Turkey’s media clampdown, and his winning entry was a limerick which netted him £1,000.
It read: “There was a young fellow from Ankara.
“Who was a terrific w***erer. Till he sowed his wild oats.
“With the help of a goat. But he didn’t even stop to thankera.”
During his trip he also visited a refugee camp, and said afterwards Russia it was at risk of “being convicted of the most serious crimes” in a fresh blast over Syria.
The Cabinet Minister once more urged the Kremlin to “stop the carnage” in Aleppo and get back to the negotiating table.
He also claimed sanctions against Vladimir Putin should be "considered”, 24 hours after Britain and France accused his regime of war crimes.
Moscow earlier reacted angrily to the "unacceptable" suggestions, after the UN condemned the escalation of airstrikes on Syria’s second city.