France condemns Erdoğan's 'declarations of violence, hatred'

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Turkey vows ‘firm’ response after France bans Turkish ultranationalist Gray Wolves organization

France on Nov. 5 condemned what it said were “declarations of violence” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and raised the possibility of new sanctions against Ankara.

Erdoğan has been feuding bitterly with French President Emmanuel Macron on a number of geopolitical flashpoints and, more recently, France’s fight against what it calls “radical” Islam.

“There are now declarations of violence, even hatred, which are regularly posted by President Erdoğan which are unacceptable,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio.

Erdoğan has joined calls from across the Muslim world to boycott French products in response to Macron’s statement that Islam was a religion “in crisis” globally, saying the French president needed mental treatment over his views on Islam.

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Tensions have been further heated as Macron, top officials and the French public renew their support for the right to show caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Turkey vowed on Nov. 4 to “respond in the firmest way possible” to France’s ban of the Turkish ultranationalist Gray Wolves group.

“It is not only France that is targeted, there is a total European solidarity on the subject – we want Turkey to renounce this logic,” Le Drian said.

The European Council, he added, has already decided to take measures against the Turkish authorities, and “now it is important for the Turks to take the necessary measures to avoid this."

“There are means of pressure, there is an agenda of possible sanctions," Le Drian added.