Cover of “Charlie Hebdo”: Turkey criticizes Erdogan’s caricature as repulsive

Turkey condemned a front page of the French satirical magazine “Charlie Hebdo” with a caricature of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan’s communications director Fahrettin Altun accused the magazine of “cultural racism” late Tuesday evening. The “so-called caricatures” are “repulsive” and devoid of human morality, reads a message. “French President Emmanuel Macron’s anti-Muslim agenda is bearing fruit!” Altun wrote.

The caricature on the cover of Wednesday’s edition of “Charlie Hebdo” shows Erdoğan in a white top and underpants sitting in an armchair. He holds a can in his hand and lifts a veiled woman’s robe to reveal her bare bottom. “Ohh! The Prophet!” He says in a comic. The page is titled with the words: “Erdoğan – in private is a lot of fun”.

Macron had defended freedom of expression and cartoon publishing several times, the last time at Paty’s funeral service. The teacher had shown caricatures of Muhammad in the classroom as an example of freedom of expression. Devout Muslims in particular reject a graphic representation of the prophet and find it offensive, but it is not explicitly forbidden in the Qur’an.