France's Charlie Hebdo magazine is facing possible charges in Turkey over "insulting the president," Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has announced.

 

"An investigation was initiated into executives of Charlie Hebdo magazine for insulting the President in accordance with Articles 12, 13 and 299 of the Turkish Penal Code," it said in a statement.

 

The probe came in the wake of the magazine publishing a cartoon about President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on its cover yesterday (October 27).

 

Erdoğan said today that he "wouldn't even look at the cartoon."

 

"It is a matter of honor for us to stand sincerely against attacks on our prophet," he told party's parliamentary group.

 

"Unfortunately, we live in an era when hostility towards Islam, Muslims and disrespect for the prophet, is spreading like cancer, especially among leaders in Europe," he added.

 

Erdoğan said that France, and Europe in general, "deserved better than the recent vicious, provocative, and hateful policies of President Emmanuel Macron."

 

"We call on prudent Europeans to take action against this dangerous trend on behalf of themselves and their children for a bright future.

 

"They tried to excuse the insults against the Prophet Muhammad under the guise of freedom of expression.

 

"However, no Muslim can be a terrorist, my brothers and sisters; nor can any terrorist be a Muslim.

 

"A terrorist is a black-hearted, bloody murderer who does not hesitate to kill innocents in order to achieve his own goals."

 

BACKGROUND

 

Following the murder of history teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown Charlie Hebdo's caricatures of Prophet Mohammad to pupils in class about freedom of expression a few days before, the satirical magazine's cartoons of the Prophet were projected onto government buildings in France.

 

In a speech a few days later, Erdoğan condemned both the remarks of President of France Emmanuel Macron, who had said that "Islam was in crisis", and the projection of the cartoons to the government buildings. "What is the problem of this person called Macron with Islam and Muslims? Macron needs treatment on a mental level," Erdoğan said, adding that Macron "needed a mental check."

 

In response to this, France recalled its envoy in the capital city of Ankara to Paris for consultations. In a recent speech, President Erdoğan has also called on citizens "to not buy French products."