Turkey says France 'increases tension by recalling its envoy'

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President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the AKP's 7th Ordinary Provincial Congress and the key handover ceremony of an Urban Transformation Project in Central Anatolian province of Kayseri on Saturday (October 24).

In his speech there, President and AKP Chair Erdoğan criticized the projection of cartoons about Prophet Muhammad on buildings in France as well as the police raid on a mosque in Germany. Erdoğan addressed President of France Emmanuel Macron in following words:

"What is the problem of this person called Macron with Islam and Muslims? Macron needs treatment on a mental level.

"What else can be said to a head of state who does not understand freedom of belief and behaves in this way to millions of people living in his country who are members of a different faith? First of all, mental check."

Erdoğan went on to say that "they had been witnessing on a daily basis yet another worrisome sign of Islamophobia which had recently been escalating in Europe" and briefly added the following:

"The police raid disrespectfully conducted with hundreds of policemen on a mosque in Germany can be explained neither by security concerns nor by any other excuse. This is sheer Islamophobia.

"The projection of caricatures insulting our Prophet onto the facades of buildings in France, the quasi-bulwark of liberty and secularism, is abject vulgarity. This is called not liberty, but blatant Islamophobia."

France has recalled its ambassador

In response to these remarks, France has recalled its ambassador in Turkey's capital city of Ankara back to Paris for consultations.

"The remarks of President Erdoğan is unacceptable. Aggression and insult is not a method," read the statement of France's Presidency.

Foreign Ministry has issued a press release

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey has released a statement regarding the issue.

"France has increased the tension by recalling its ambassador in Turkey," said the Ministry in a statement yesterday (October 25).

The ministry has also stated that France continues its "one-sided and egocentric" approach towards incidents and in bilateral relations with Turkey.

It has added that "there was no reaction from France over the projection of cartoons on state buildings in the country, which offended Muslims."

The statement has indicated that Turkey regretted the recent murder of teacher in France, saying, "Our regret was expressed by our Ambassador in Paris, the highest representative of our state in France." The Foreign Ministry has noted that "France did not make any statement about Turkish teachers who have been martyred by the terrorist PKK organization for years."

"Turkey does not discriminate anyone on the basis of language, religion, race and thoughts while fighting terrorism," the statement has added further. (RT/SD)