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The Turkish president, on the left, and the French president, on the right, have been involved in a war of words. / AFP
The Turkish president, left, and the French president, right, have been involved in a war of words. / AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has joined the growing calls for a boycott of French products as backlash continues in Muslim-majority countries over the decision to republish the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in France.
Erdogan has been one of the most staunch critics of French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days, who he says is pursuing an anti-Islamic agenda.
“Now I am telling my nation, as they say in France, not to buy anything from the Turkish brands,” Erdogan said. “I call on my nation here and now, don’t pay attention to French-labeled products, don’t buy them.”
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The French government responded to Erdogan and criticized Turkey’s call to stop buying French products.
“The head of state of Turkey is using what is happening in our country for internal political gain,” said Roselyne Bachelot, the culture minister.
The France-Turkey relationship has already deteriorated politically over Libya, Syria and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
But Stephane Salvetat, director of the France-Turkey chamber of commerce, says that the globalized nature of global supply chains means that a boycott is not a simple economic tool that will only hit one side.
“In Turkey we have more than 500 French companies that produce in Turkey,” he told CGTN Europe.
“So if President Erdogan says they will boycott some French products, it means that they will boycott Turkish products as well.”
There have been demonstrations against France in the Middle East and Asia, in Bangladesh, Turkey and Pakistan.
Anger has spread in Muslim-majority countries after Macron criticized Islamists and promised not to “give up cartoons.”
The French national motto includes the word “freedom” and Macron has said it means freedom of religion and freedom of the press.
Ten days ago, a French school teacher was beheaded after showing pictures of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on freedom of expression.
Samuel Paty, 47, died after being attacked by an 18-year-old Chechen immigrant in France.
