Erdogan Condemns Immoral Displays at Paris Olympics Opening in Call with Pope Francis

Ankara, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed his outrage over immoral displays during a segment of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, voicing his concerns in a phone call with the Head of the Vatican State, Pope Francis.

“President Erdogan stated that under the guise of freedom of expression and tolerance, human dignity was trampled upon and religious and moral values were mocked, which offended Muslims as much as it did the Christian world,” said the Republic of Türkiye Directorate of Communications in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.

Erdogan emphasized the necessity for a united response to such actions, underscoring the importance of maintaining and respecting religious and moral values. “President Erdogan also mentioned that the challenge to religious values and the propagation of deviant messages during the Olympic Games, which are meant to unite people, were alarming signals of the moral decay the world is heading towards,” the statement continued.

In addition to addressing the Olympics controversy, Erdogan discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, characterizing the attacks by Israel as genocide. He noted that “Israel carried out these massacres under the diplomatic, economic, and military umbrella provided by some states.”

“President Erdogan said that the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh and the attack on Lebanon demonstrated once again that Israel is a threat to the entire region, the world, and humanity,” the statement detailed. Erdogan called for immediate action to ensure peace for Muslims and Christians living in Palestine.

Erdogan expressed his belief that Pope Francis’s influence and discussions with countries supporting Israel could help stop the attacks and achieve lasting peace, thereby preventing further damage to the political, security, and social fabric of the region and the world.

During their conversation, Pope Francis thanked President Erdogan for his peace efforts and his sensitivity towards the degradation of religious values.