October 28, 2020
18:48
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The bitter discussion about free speech is causing Europe to close ranks against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was particularly sharp.
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There are still certainties. The French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo showed on its cover on Wednesday with a cartoon of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Under the heading ‘At home he is nevertheless nice’, the Turkish leader lifts the skirt of a veiled woman and says’ Aaah. The Prophet’. The provocation provoked the expected reaction from the Turkish president: ‘I did not look at the caricature. It is useless to waste words on those idlers. My anger is not prompted by the unworthy attack on my person, but by the insults to the Prophet. ‘ Ankara immediately announced “legal and political action.”
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©Twitter
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The controversy arose after Erdogan was particularly keen on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. In his homage to murdered history teacher Samuel Paty, he had heavily attacked ‘political Islam’ and defended the use of Charlie Hebdo’s Muhammad cartoons in a lesson on free speech.
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Lost
Erdogan not only called that démarche “an insult to all Muslims,” he also assured in a speech that Macron needed psychological help and the French president “had lost his way.” Erdogan immediately called for a boycott of French products.
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In the Netherlands, we consider freedom of speech to be the highest good and this includes cartoons by politicians.
Mark Rutte
Dutch Prime Minister
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The Turkish president remains on a collision course with Europe when it comes to cartoons. On Tuesday, the Turkish court announced that Erdogan had filed a complaint against Geert Wilders after the Dutch extreme right-wing politician posted a caricature of Erdogan on Twitter. Erdogan was wearing a turban with a bomb in it.
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Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte reacted sharply. He felt that the complaint exceeded ‘all borders’. ‘I have a message for President Erdogan and it is very simple. In the Netherlands, we regard freedom of speech as the highest good and that includes cartoons by politicians, ‘it sounded in front of the cameras in The Hague. It is very unusual for the Dutch prime minister to be so direct when it comes to a foreign leader.
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Mobilizing the Muslim world
The riot is a two-way discussion. To Erdogan, the cartoons of Mohammed are blasphemy because depictions of the prophet are prohibited in Islam. With his offensive against Charlie Hebdo and Macron, he tries to mobilize the Muslim world.
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In Europe, it is all about free speech, which is compromised by terror and violence. Paty’s beheading was done by a radicalized Chechen who wanted to ‘avenge’ the prophet. Erdogan skilfully cycles around freedom of speech. He never talks about why Macron lashed out so hard at “political Islam.” For his audience it is more convenient to speak of a general smear. According to Erdogan, Muslims are treated just as badly as “the Jews during World War II.”
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It is clear that Erdogan speaks for his own audience, both in Turkey and in other Muslim countries. Especially in Iran, Egypt and Pakistan there was a very sharp response to Macron’s statements.
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What are France and Turkey doing in the same military alliance?
Francois Hollande
Former French President
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The French president did just that with his homage to Paty, of course. The attack on the teacher was too much the attack. A few weeks earlier, Macron had explained in detail and nuanced how he hoped to push radical Islam out of France. But after the attack, he could hardly do anything other than take quick and hard action. Too often he was accused of not intervening hard enough.
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After the teacher’s murder, the French government launched an offensive to eradicate the ‘hotbeds of radicalism’. A mosque near Paris was closed for six months. NGOs that may have links with radical Islam are also banned.
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Unit
Erdogan’s attack on Macron has an unexpected side effect. He led to an unseen unity in French politics. From left to right, the politicians stood behind the president and the ideals of the French republic.
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This solidarity movement can also be felt in Europe. On Monday it already rained expressions of support for Macron from various capitals and resentment about Erdogan is growing in European circles. The European Commission warned Turkey of an embargo against France.
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Former French president François Hollande wondered on Wednesday what ‘France and Turkey are doing in the same military alliance’. Hollande was referring to Turkish membership of NATO. According to Macron’s predecessor, it is inconsistent that the Turks belong to the military alliance while attacking allies and stirring up unrest on the borders of Europe.
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Erdogan’s frantic behavior means that Europe can suddenly overcome the contradictions.
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