Erdogan’s cartoon on French magazine, Turkey for legal action

Amid a row of controversy over humiliating Prophet Muhammad (PUBH), French magazine Charlie Hebdo published a cartoon of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday. In response, Turkey has vowed to take legal, diplomatic actions against such an offensive act.

Turkey’s Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter, “You cannot deceive anyone by hiding behind freedom of opinion! I condemn the immoral publication of the inexcusable French rag about our President.”

Fuat Oktay urged the international community to raise voice against such disgrace.

State media say Turkish prosecutors have launched an official investigation into the satirical magazine.

The cartoon published in the French magazine shows Turkey’s president lifting the dress of a veiled woman. The cartoon also indirectly criticized the Prophet Muhammad (PUBH).

Presidential communications director Fahrettin Altun said, “Charlie Hebdo just published a series of so-called cartoons full of despicable images purportedly of our president. We condemn this most disgusting effort by this publication to spread its cultural racism and hatred.”Condemning the satirical weekly, Turkey’s presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said that attacking individual rights is not humor or freedom of speech.

Tensions between France and Turkey are high after President Emmanuel Macron pledged a tougher stance against radical Islam over defending secularism following the killing of a teacher who had shown his students a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad (PUBH).

Earlier on Wednesday Erdogan called to boycott French goods. Turkish President also slammed French President Emmanuel Macron saying he had a problem with Muslims and needed mental checks.

Weekly Charlie Hebdo made more such controversies earlier. In 2015, 12 people were killed in an attack on the offices of the magazine in Paris. It was targeted by Islamic extremists for publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (PUBH). In the same year, Russia heavily criticized the magazine for two cartoons depicting the Sinai air crash in which 224 people, mostly Russians, died. In 2016, the magazine outraged Italians portraying earthquake victims as pasta dishes.