Canada Foreign Minister Says Turkey's Denunciation Of France 'Totally Unacceptable'

TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2020) Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Turkey's condemnation of France and its president, Emmanuel Macron, are intolerable and Ottawa stands with its G7 ally.

Macron has called for building and institutionalizing what he has 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. Macron announced new legislation to prioritize republican values and establish oversight of funding for French mosques. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has responded to the initiative by slamming Macron and other top French officials.

"We stand in solidarity with our French friends. Turkey's recent comments about France are totally unacceptable. We must return to respectful diplomatic exchanges. We will always stand together to defend freedom of expression with respect," Champagne said via Twitter on Monday.

Champagne's statement echoes the statements of European leaders such as German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

On October 16, an 18-year-old French teenager of Chechen descent beheaded a schoolteacher who showed cartoons depicting Islamic Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of expression. The French government declared the incident to be a terrorist attack.

Erdogan has said on multiple occasions that Macron should seek treatment for mental issues, prompting France to recall its ambassador from Turkey for consultations.