After the attack at Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters in Paris that left 12 people dead, a group assembled outside French Consulate in downtown Istanbul, protesting the incident with one minute of silence and pencils.
Consulate worker also join the protest, holding banners that wrote “Je suis Charlie (I am Charlie)”.
Addressing the crowd, General Consul Muriel Domenach said they had an immense grief for the victims.
He also expressed his gratitude for the support messages they received from the people of Turkey.
Domenach also reminded Voltaire’s famous quote “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Several French student observed the gathering as well, expressing their horror on the incident.
“This incident has nothing to do with Muslims. This is an attack perpetrated by extremists. It is not acceptable to channel the anger at Muslims,” they said.
French association based in Turkey also announced that they will hold a commemoration ceremony outside the French Consulate at 3pm on Saturday. (NV/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
