Turkish politician slams Macron over anti-Islam remarks

ANKARA

A prominent Turkish lawmaker and party leader on Tuesday slammed the French president over his controversial plans to crack down on "Islamist separatism," and continue publishing blasphemous cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), told his parliamentary group that Emmanuel Macron is ignorant, and has strong hostility toward Islam.

He called on Macron to focus on his country's "real political issues."

"How dare this political schizophrenic says to restructure Islam... the only true religion in the sight of Allah until the Day of Judgement is Islam," he said.

The MHP leader said Islamophobia is increasing in Western countries at an "alarming level," and urged Muslim nations to show unity and solidarity "against tyrant and imperialist conspiracies."

"Religious polarization will be a disaster fro humanity," he added.

Macron has sparked outrage across the Muslim world by accusing French Muslims of “separatism,” and describing Islam as a “a religion in crisis."

This coincided with the murder of a French teacher who showed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class. Macron paid tribute to him, and said France would "not give up our cartoons."

Several Arab countries, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan have censured Macron’s attitude toward Muslims and Islam, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying the French leader needs "mental treatment."

While calls for a boycott on French products are also circulating online in many states, Erdogan has urged Turks not to buy French goods.