After President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a “treatment on a mental level ” for French President Macron, Paris has recalled its ambassador from Turkey.
In the aftermath of brutal beheading of Samuel Paty, a teacher, in outskirts of Paris – President Macron renewed his pledge to weed out radical Islamists. Paty was killed by a young Chechen refugee, reportedly in retaliation for discussing cartoons of Prophet Mohammed with students as part of a class on freedom of expression.
As the nation rallied for the liberty – Macron denounced the murder as an “Islamist terrorist attack” and urged the nation to stay united against religious extremism.
Commenting on domestic events of France, Erdogan commented “What is Macron’s problem with Islam and Muslims? He needs mental health treatment”. The Turkish President further expressed his distorted view of the world with the words that the French President “does not understand freedom of belief.”
Ankara has been on an Anti EU agenda for quite sometime crossing paths with Paris across the region – in Libya, Syria, and in Cypress. The latest round of avoidable and uncalled for personal insults have been part of Erdogan self projection as a neo-Turn Sultan who can potentially claim to be lord master of entire middle east.
His latest tirade has caused calls for boycott of French products and produces across middles eastern countries. Iran, Jordan and even Kuwait have denounced the French position on cartoons, while the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, has deplored “the words of certain French officials (…), likely to harm Franco-Muslim relations ” .
In its statement, Paris has said that it does not plan to engage in name-calling with the Turks as “Outrage and insult are not a method,” for the French.
