French authorities decided to step up the fight against radical Islamism last week after an 18-year-old Chechen was murdered in a Paris suburb teacher Samuel Paty. According to the police, the motive for the act, which is being investigated as terrorist, was that the educator had recently shown the pupils a cartoon of the cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad during a lecture on freedom.
“All that can be said about the head of state dealing with members of different religious groups in this way is this: first, examine your mental state,” Erdogan told Macron via television.
Erdogan’s condolences are lacking
The Elysee Palace called the statements of the Turkish president “unacceptable”. “We call on Erdogan to change the course of his policy, as it is dangerous in all respects,” Macron’s office said. According to him, France has decided to recall its ambassador to Turkey for consultations.
The Elysee Palace also noted that “the condolences and expressions of support following the assassination of Samuel Paty lack the one from the Turkish president.” Turkey has again called on Macron’s office to end “dangerous adventures in the Mediterranean” and condemned its “irresponsible behavior” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Although France and Turkey are members of NATO, they have very different views on many political issues concerning Syria, Libya, maritime law in the Eastern Mediterranean or the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In the past, Erdogan has called Macron’s statements about Islamic separatism and plans for the necessary intervention in the affairs of Islam in France a provocation. The bill against radical Islam is due to be published in December. It aims to strengthen Republican principles and secularism, and will include a proposal for greater control over the finances of mosques and a ban on the training of imams abroad. As early as early October, Erdogan called Macron’s statement on Islamic separatism an insult and rudeness.
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