France increases tension by recalling its envoy: Turkey

ANKARA

France has increased the tension by recalling its ambassador in Turkey and has been continuing with its “one-sided and egocentric” approach towards incidents and bilateral relations with Turkey, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Oct. 25 in a written statement.

“It is understood that while the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Le Drian announced the decision to recall its Ambassador to Ankara back to Paris for consultations, he was trying to explain a process of tension that France initiated and escalated,” said the statement.

The ministry stressed that there had been no objections as the French president and the French media have been targeting the Turkish president and the country for a long time. There was no reaction from France over the projection of caricatures on state buildings in the country, which offended Muslims, said the ministry.

As Turkey is fighting against all types of terror and violence, the statement recalled that Ankara regretted the recent murder of a French teacher. “Our regret was expressed by our Ambassador in Paris, the highest representative of our state in France.”

The Foreign Ministry went on to note that France did not make any statement about Turkish teachers who have been martyred by the terrorist PKK organization for years. Turkey does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of language, religion, race and beliefs while fighting against terrorism, it added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 24 slammed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron over his policies toward Muslims, saying that he needed “mental checks.” Paris responded by recalling its ambassador to Ankara back for consultations.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Oct. 25 accused Turkey of “trying to whip up hatred” against France. He also reiterated France’s disappointment at Turkey’s failure to condemn the gruesome killing of teacher Samuel Paty or to express solidarity with France in the aftermath of the attack.

Paty was beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen for showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed during a class on freedom of speech. Caricatures of Mohammed are forbidden by Islam.