A new Charlie Hebdo cartoon making fun of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has triggered strong criticism from the Muslim leader and his colleagues, according to reports.
Turkish leaders have accused the French satirical publication of sowing “the seeds of hatred and animosity,” according to CBS. The cartoon, which depicts Erdogan in a humiliating position with a woman in a hijab, comes as tensions continue to rise between France and the Muslim world after the beheading of schoolteacher Samuel Paty in Paris. (RELATED: France Projects Giant Images Of Charlie Hebdo Cartoon Of Prophet Muhammed On Buildings Following Teacher’s Beheading)
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara is launching an investigation into the managers of Charlie Hebdo for insulting the Turkish president, which is a crime punishable by up to four years in prison in Turkey, CBS reports. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay wrote on Twitter, “I condemn this incorrigible French rag’s immoral publication concerning our president.”
Sultan @RTErdogan earns a front page on @CharIieHebdo magazine. pic.twitter.com/ScR7yt29bG
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) October 28, 2020
Paty was allegedly killed because he showed his students the infamous Charlie Hebdo cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad which inspired the 2015 terror attack against the publication. The incident sparked a wave of anti-Islamist crackdowns across France led by President Emmanuel Macron.
Widespread protests have taken place across the Muslim world in response to the French government’s actions since the beheading, with Erdogan spearheading criticisms of the French leader. The Turkish dictator has called for a boycott of French goods and recently said that Macron “needs some sort of mental treatment”, an insult which prompted Paris to recall their ambassador from Turkey.
France has warned its people to be cautious when travelling in Muslim-majority countries and to avoid large gatherings or protests due to heightened safety concerns. As far as the Turkish government’s verbal and legal attacks against Charlie Hebdo, a French government spokesman said Wednesday that they were “hateful”, per Reuters.