The row between France and Turkey is straining relations between the two states. The two countries have been in different blocks over a range of issues, including the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The recent clashes between the transcontinental Turkey and Western European state of France are a result of the growing Islamophobia in the French state.
The Samuel Paty Case
Earlier this month, a French art history teacher called Samuel Paty was killed by one of his students. The teacher had shown disrespectful cartoons of the Holy Prophet in class, which enraged Abdullah Enzoroz, an 18 year old Chechen. The French president Emmanuel Macron had said that the killer was a coward and reiterated the secular status of the country.
The Case of the Racist Stabbing
Soon after the teacher’s killing, two women wearing headscarves were stabbed in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower. It was a racist attack carried out by two women yelling racial slurs. The attack took place in Champ de Mars park and the preparators of the violent attack were drunk.
The victims were a middle aged and a teen age woman, both of whom sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital. They had been called names such as ‘dirty Arabs’ and other insults by the women.
Emmanuel Macron’s Anti-Islamic Stance
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president holds the French president Macron responsible for promoting hate against Islam and allowing anti-Islamic practices under the ‘freedom of speech’ façade. Macron has been vocal about his dislike for Islam and had accused the followers of the religion of trying to spread separatism in the continent. He had gone as far as labelling the entire religion to be in a state of ‘crisis’ that needed to be dealt with.
Turkey’s Response to Macron
Erdogan is a vocal supporter of Islamic values and is against the rise of hate crimes against a specific community based on their faith. Keeping in view the French president’s remarks against the religion, he had expressed his shock at the statements and demanded to know Emmanuel’s problem with the religion and its followers.
In a controversial statement issued earlier this week, Tayyip opined that Macron needed ‘mental treatment’ to get rid of the issues he had with a faith practiced by millions across the world. The comments were made by the Turkish head of state during a speech in the city of Kayseri. The Turk had further accused France of helping Armenia spread discontent in the region by helping it forcefully occupy Karabakh.
What’s Next?
The relations between the two members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had seen some improvements last month, when the two counterparts had communicated over the phone and discussed their differences. However with the events that took place this October, the relations between France and Turkey have took a turn for the worst.
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
