ANKARA, KOMPAS.com – Presiden Turki Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked its citizens to boycott the product from France.
This is a new chapter of tension between the two NATO member countries, after Paris has taken a firm stance against extremist groups or individuals.
“As already mentioned in France ‘don’t buy Turkish products’. I ask my people not to buy any of their products,” he said.
Also read: Erdogan quipped the French president for mental check
The boycott of “Wine Country” products has already appeared in Qatar and Kuwait supermarkets, with calls for a ban on buying also appearing in Jordan.
This is Erdogan’s second attack on France, after he mocked President Emmanuel Macron at the weekend.
At that time, he said Macron had to do a psychiatric examination, and it resulted in Paris calling the Turkish ambassador.
Reported AFP Monday (26/10/2020), Ankara’s relations with the West have strained following a coup attempt to topple Erdogan in 2016.
But Turkey and France’s estrangement has been going on for years, with issues that include Libya, Syria and gas exploration in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile Erdogan and Macron have been arguing, especially over Paris’ criticism of Ankara’s involvement in conflict areas, such as Nagorno-Karabakh.
Also read: Erdogan explains why Turkey supports Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh war
The new tensions were sparked by Emmanuel Macron’s plans to “rid Islam in France of foreign influence” earlier this October.
“European leaders should inform President of France to stop the hate campaign against Muslims, “Erdogan said at the time.
About 18 months before the election, Macron joked that Islam “is a religion in crisis around the world”.
Also read: Considered Insulting Islam, French President Denied Christians in Arab
He then drew anger from the Muslim world for promising that his country would not bring down the controversial cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.
Because of that cartoon, the teacher of History and Geography was named Samuel Paty beheaded by an 18 year old Chechen teenager two weeks ago.
Paty was killed while walking home after showing the cartoon as part of free expression material.
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