THE WORLD TODAY

Charlie Hebdo cover prompts fierce backlash

TURKISH officials have railed against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo over a cover page cartoon mocking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing it of sowing “the seeds of hatred and animosity”.

It could heighten tensions between Turkey and France which erupted over French President Emmanuel Macron’s firm stance against Islamism following the beheading of a teacher who showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Prophet cartoons upset many in the Muslim world, but it was Erdogan who led the charge against France and questioned Macron’s mental state. France then recalled its ambassador to Turkey for consultations, a first in FrenchTurkish diplomatic relations.

“We strongly condemn the publication concerning our president of the French magazine, which has no respect to faith, the sacred and values,” Erdogan’s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, wrote on Twitter. “The aim of these publications, that are devoid of morality and decency, is to sow seeds of hatred and animosity. To turn freedom of expression into hostility towards religion and belief can only be the product of a sick mentality.”

The Ankara chief prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into Charlie Hebdo managers.

The cartoon depicted Erdogan in his underwear holding a drink and lifting the skirt of a woman wearing an Islamic dress. Erdogan said he had not looked at the drawing and had nothing to say about the “dishonourable” publication.

“My sadness and anger does not stem from the disgusting attack on my person but from the fact that the same ( publication) is the source of the impertinent attack to my dear Prophet,” Erdogan said.