Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly slapped a boy across the face after he refused to kiss his hand, a shocking video shows.
Erdogan, 70, was handing out keys to residents of homes being rebuilt as part of an urban renewal project in the northeastern city of Rize on Saturday when two boys approached him on stage and demanded money. According to the Gazette Duval.
Erdogan offered the boy his hand for a kiss, a traditional Turkish sign of respect, but the boy looked at the president’s face and hesitated.
When the boy refused to comply, the disgruntled Turkish leader slapped him across the cheek. Video Show.
The boy, whose name has not been released, then shook hands and shared a kiss with Erdogan, who then presented the children with cash gifts.
The video went viral on social media, with many users expressing their disgust.
“If he can act like that in front of the camera, I wonder how he behaves with people behind closed doors,” questioned one user.
“Isn’t that a pretty sophisticated form of terrorism and abuse?” Questioned“Why should I kiss his hand as a sign of respect?”
Others came to Erdogan’s defence, pointing out that kissing the hands of elders is part of Turkish culture.
“If you don’t do it you will be corrected, especially when you’re young,” one user wrote.
This is not the first time Erdogan has come under fire for slapping a child.
According to The Sun newspaper, during a celebration for the opening of the Sararka Tunnel in Rize in 2021, he hit a boy over the head after he waved a ceremonial ribbon.
In 2023, the president will publicly I slapped my grandson He punched her in the face, but later claimed he was just “petting her.”
Erdogan Threatened Israeli invasion He has criticised Israel’s military action in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack on the Jewish state amid rising tensions in the region.
Turkey “has to be very strong so that Israel cannot do such a stupid thing against the Palestinians,” he told members of his Justice and Development party at the meeting.
“Just as we invaded Karabakh, just as we invaded Libya, we may do the same to them,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Katz countered that Erdogan would die like former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was publicly hanged in 2006.
“Erdogan has followed in Saddam Hussein’s footsteps and is threatening to attack Israel. Let’s remind him of what happened there and how it ended,” Katz said. Post to X With a photo of President Erdogan with the former Iraqi leader.
