Turkey’s Erdogan Chides Obama for Stance Over Anti-Islamic Film

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized U.S. President Barack Obama for saying an anti-Islamic film that caused outrage in the Muslim world fell under the protection of freedom of speech.

Erdogan, in an interview with Kanal 7 television late yesterday, said he had discussed the film with Obama and was “saddened” by the president’s remarks. A Turkish court has banned Internet access to the film, which depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a womanizer and has sparked violent protests from the Middle East to Southeast Asia, Erdogan said.

Erdogan condemned the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya during a violent protest against the film.

Obama, addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25, spoke against a ban on the video because it would violate the right to free speech.

To contact the reporter on this story: Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara at shacaoglu@bloomberg.net; Ali Berat Meric in Ankara at americ@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net