ISTANBUL (TURKEY) – Top Turkish officials flayed the caricature lampooning President Tayyip Erdogan in French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday, terming it a “disgusting effort” to “spread its cultural racism and hatred”.
The portrayal of Erdogan has added fuel to the row between France and Turkey over the caricatures of Prophet Mohammad which once again hogged the limelight after a teacher was beheaded near Paris for showing the ‘blasphemous’ images to students in a civics class this month.
“We strongly condemn the publication concerning our President in the French magazine which has no respect for any belief, sacredness and values,” said Ibrahim Kalin, the president’s spokesman, on Twitter.
“They are just showing their own vulgarity and immorality. An attack on personal rights is not humour and freedom expression,” he said.
The cartoon depicts Erdogan sitting wearing a T-shirt and underpants, holding a canned beverage along with a woman in a hijab.
Turkish presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said “Macron’s anti-Muslim agenda is bearing fruit!”
“We condemn this most disgusting effort by this publication to spread its cultural racism and hatred,” he tweeted.
During the weekend, Erdogan flayed Macron, saying he needed a mental health checkup, which prompted France to recall its Ankara envoy. On Monday, Erdogan called for a boycott of French goods.
The caricatures of the prophet, which were published long ago, have once again been displayed throughout the country in solidarity with the slain teacher and Macron said he would redouble efforts to stop conservative Islamic beliefs subverting French values. This has infuriated many Muslims.