Paris Riots Grant Erdogan Rare Chance to Attack Europe on Rights
- Turkish president says watching protests with great ‘concern’
- Europeans often criticize Erdogan for intolerance of dissent
Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend a mass opening ceremony in Uskudar district of Istanbul on Dec. 08.
Photographer: Kayhan Ozer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used the violent clashes between protesters and police in Paris to respond in kind to long-standing European criticism of his handling of political opposition at home.
“We will never approve of violent expression of demands for rights, but all opinions and demands can be made clear in democracies,” Erdogan said on Saturday. “Those who mocked our police force, accusing it of brutality, should now look at their own police force. Europe has failed the class on democracy, freedoms and human rights.”