Thu 05 November 2020:
France on Thursday condemned what it said were “declarations of violence” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and raised the possibility of new sanctions against Ankara.
Erdogan has been feuding bitterly with French President Emmanuel Macron on a number of geopolitical flashpoints and, more recently, France’s fight against what it calls “radical” Islam.
“There are now declarations of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by president Erdogan which are unacceptable,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio.
Erdogan has joined calls from across the Muslim world to boycott French products in response to Macron’s statement that Islam was a religion “in crisis” globally, saying the French president needed mental treatment over his views on Islam.
Tensions have been further heated as Macron, top officials and the French public renew their support for the right to show caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, which are deeply offensive to Muslims as they often conflate Islam and violence.
Turkey vowed Wednesday to “respond in the firmest way possible” to France’s ban of the Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves group.
The European Council, he added, has already decided to take measures against the Turkish authorities, and “now it is important for the Turks to take the necessary measures to avoid this.
“There are means of pressure, there is an agenda of possible sanctions.”
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron described Islam as a religion “in crisis” and announced plans for tougher laws to tackle what he called “Islamist separatism” in France.
He condemned the murder of a French teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class, but said France would “not give up our cartoons.”
Several Arab countries, as well as Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, have condemned Macron’s attitude toward Muslims and Islam, with Erdogan saying on Sunday that the French leader needs “mental treatment.”
After Erdogan’s remarks, France recalled its ambassador to Turkey.
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