Turkish Opposition Leader: Erdogan Exploits Tensions with France

Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdarolu launched a strong attack on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of exploiting tensions with  France to cover the crisis in the country.

Erdogan had criticized France and its president, Emmanuel Macron, after killing Samuel Paty, a teacher who was beheaded a week ago.

The Turkish president opposed the steps and statements announced by Macron in the wake of the accident and called for a boycott of French products.

The French presidency at the time denounced Erdogan's statements, which it described as "unacceptable," and said that "the escalation of rhetoric and vulgarity is not an approach to dealing."

Kılıçdarolu added, "We ask Erdogan to change the course of his policy because it is dangerous from all angles. We will not enter into sterile arguments and do not accept insults."

The leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP) also expressed his rejection of Erdogan's statements and said that the latter is using the tensions with French to cover the crises and the collapse of the lira.

Boycott French goods? Well, burn your wife's Hermes bag and shut down the Renault factory in Turkey if you dare.

He continued, "You only speak without action, have you left a citizen with the purchasing power of French products?"

The Turkish opposition leader concluded his speech by saying, "We want to live in peace, and conflicts will not benefit us.

"The world abandoned us and left us alone," he said.

France is facing a massive boycott of its goods and products by many Arab and Islamic countries, against the backdrop of statements by French officials, led by President Emmanuel Macron.

The French president was deemed "offensive" to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, after the killing of a French teacher by a young Muslim of Chechen origin.

The Arab countries have good trade relations with both Turkey and France.

French exports to Arab countries was about 5.7%. Of France’s total global exports, the volume of exports to Arab countries amounted to $ 32 billion.