MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2020) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticism of President Emmanuel Macron of France, asserting Berlin's solidarity with Paris in the fight against radical Islam.
Macron has called for building and institutionalizing what he described as "enlightened Islam" in France in the wake of a brutal murder of a history teacher who showed caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad to his students. The president announced that new legislation was coming to prioritize republican values and establish oversight of funding that French mosques receive from abroad. Erdogan has responded to the initiative by saying that Macron "should seek treatment from mental issues." The Turkish president iterated the insult twice over the weekend. France has recalled its ambassador from Turkey for consultations.
"We stand in solidarity with France, both with regard to President Erdogan's personal attacks against President Macron, which I consider to be a new escalation and which are absolutely unacceptable, as well as with regard to the fight against Islamist extremists, especially after the horrific terrorist attack [in Paris]," Maas said at a joint press conference with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
At the same time, the German foreign minister stressed the importance of distinguishing between the fight against violent religious extremism and Islamophobia, saying that "millions of lawful citizens profess islam in Germany and they constitute an overwhelming majority of these people not only in Germany but also in Europe."
"We have clearly stated to our French colleagues that we treat with great understanding the measures that France has been undertaking in the diplomatic realm," Maas said.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has joined his German colleague in condemning Erdogan's harsh remarks on the leader of the European country.
"President Erdogan's words addressing President @EmmanuelMacron are unacceptable. The Netherlands stands firmly with France and for the collective values of the European Union. For the freedom of speech and against extremism and radicalism," Rutte wrote on Twitter.
On October 16, Paris was in shock over the horrific murder of a school teacher that was beheaded by an 18-year-old teenager after showing cartoons depicting prophet Muhammad during a lesson. The incident reportedly prompted outrage among some Muslim parents. The killer, a French citizen of Chechen descent, was subsequently shot dead by police.
The French government declared the incident a terrorist attack and pledged to reinforce the counter-extremist measures in the country.
