ANKARA, TURKEY
Blasting the French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s offensive cartoons, the Turkish president said on Wednesday that hostility towards Islam is “spreading like cancer” in Europe.
“Unfortunately, we are going through a period in which the hostility towards Islam, Muslims and disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad is spreading like cancer, especially among the leaders in Europe,” Erdogan told his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s parliamentary group.
Pointing out the rising offensive attitudes against Islam and Muslims, Erdogan said that they are being carried out under the guise of freedom of expression.
“No Muslim can be a terrorist, nor can any terrorist be a Muslim because “a terrorist is a black-hearted, bloody murderer who does not hesitate to kill innocents to achieve his own goals,” he said.
On the recent publication of Charlie Hebdo which has published “loathsome so-called cartoons” purportedly of Erdogan after insulting Islam and Muslims, the Turkish leader said he believes that “enemies of Islam and Turkey will get drown in a swamp of hate which they have entered for the sake of freedom. That are the signs of Europe’s return to its barbaric era.”
‘I did not look at cartoons’
Erdogan added that he even did not look at the so-called cartoon since he considered it disgraceful to give credit to such immoral publications even just to see what they did: “What am I? There is no need that I say anything about these dishonorable people who insult my beloved prophet, the most one beloved.”
On Wednesday, prosecutors in the capital Ankara launched criminal probe into the magazine over insulting content which was followed by criminal complaint filed by Erdogan.
“It is a matter of honor for us to stand sincerely against the attacks targeting our prophet, who honored Mecca, Medina, Asia, Africa, Europe, the whole world, all the world and all the times […] We would die not the day we gave our last breath, but the day when we kept silent and unresponsive in the face of these attacks,” he added.
“France and Europe in general do not deserve these vicious, provocative, ugly, hateful policies of [French President Emmanuel] Macron and those with the same mentality,” he said, referring to French president’s remarks encouraging hostility towards Islam.
Erdogan also called on Europeans to take an initiative against this dangerous trend to have a bright future for themselves and their children.
Drawing to Macron’s visit to Lebanon following the massive explosion at the Port of Beirut in August, Erdogan reiterated that Macron was not welcomed by Lebanese people, which he said was a sign that the French president could not achieve his goals in that country.
