On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Turks to boycott French goods, as relations between the NATO allies deteriorated over Paris’s hardened stance against radical Islam.
Erdogan said: “As it has been said in France, don’t buy Turkish-labelled goods, I call on my people here. Never give credit to French-labelled goods, don’t buy them.”
Erdogan’s comments follow his call at the weekend for French President Emmanuel Macron to undergo mental checks, which led to Paris recalling its envoy to Ankara.
Erdogan and Macron have been at loggerheads in recent months especially over France’s criticism of Turkey over Ankara’s actions in the war-torn countries, and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
But Ankara has been particularly angered by Macron’s policies toward Muslims, after the French leader announced a plan earlier this month to liberate Islam in France from foreign influences.
Erdogan said: “European leaders should tell the French president to stop his hate campaign” against Muslims.”
Erdogan also criticised the attacks on mosques in Germany and Australia. “I call on German Chancellor Angela Merkel. What about the freedom of belief you claimed to have there? What about the state protecting religion and the faithful?
He said: “Have you heard such a thing in Turkey? No. Why? Because we have real freedom of religion. But they don’t have this.”
He also accused some Western leaders of acting like fascists and pushing Islamophobia.
