Erdogan criticized for speaking of martyrdom for small girl
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come under criticism for telling a small girl dressed in a military uniform that she would be honored if she were "martyred" for Turkey.
Erdogan spotted the weeping-and-saluting 6-year-old Amine Tiras while delivering a speech at his ruling party's congress in the city of Kahramanmaras, and had her brought on stage.
After trying to comfort her, Erdogan told the crowd: "She has the Turkish flag in her pocket. If she becomes a martyr, God willing, this flag will be draped on her."
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Some people were appalled and took to Twitter to criticize the president.
His action comes as nationalist sentiment is running high over a Turkish cross-border military offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters that are affiliated with Kurdish rebels fighting inside Turkey.