Erdoğan calls Islamophobic magazine Charlie Hebdo's cartoon 'immoral and disgusting'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan condemns Charlie Hebdo as "immoral," and says he hasn't seen the cover of the Islamophobic French magazine Charlie Hebdo that insulted him.

"I heard that the Islamophobic French magazine, which published the despicable and immoral cartoons of our prophet, has now targeted me with a caricature on its front page," he told members of his ruling Justice and Development [AK] Party in Ankara.

"My sadness and anger is not because of this disgusting attack against me, but because the very same media is the source of impudence against our beloved prophet whom we hold so dear," he stressed in his address to the ruling AK Party lawmakers.

"Unfortunately, we live in an era when hostility towards Islam, Muslims and disrespect for the prophet, is spreading like cancer, especially among leaders in Europe," he added.

Erdoğan said that France, and Europe in general, deserve better than the recent vicious, provocative, and hateful policies of French President Emmanuel Macron.

"We call on prudent Europeans to take action against this dangerous trend on behalf of themselves and their children for a bright future," he said.

They tried to excuse the insults against the Prophet Muhammad under the guise of freedom of expression, Erdoğan said.

"However, no Muslim can be a terrorist, my brothers and sisters; nor can any terrorist be a Muslim," Erdoğan stressed.

"A terrorist is a black-hearted, bloody-minded murderer who does not hesitate to kill innocents in order to achieve his own goals," he added.

The Turkish president also criticized Macron's policy on Lebanon, adding that he would not achieve his goals there.

In the wake of August's disastrous explosion in Lebanon, Macron tried to "dominate" there but his plans came to nothing and he was turned away, said Erdoğan.

They will be turned away everywhere as "they want to start new crusades," the president added.

Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron accused French Muslims of "separatism" and claimed Islam is "a religion in crisis all over the world."

Tensions further escalated after a teacher was murdered for showing his students insulting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on freedom of expression.

Macron paid tribute to the teacher and said France would "not give up our cartoons."

Insulting cartoons by Charlie Hebdo were also projected on buildings in a few cities.

Earlier this year, the magazine republished cartoons insulting Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Several Arab countries as well as Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan have condemned Macron's attitude toward Muslims and Islam, with President Erdogan saying the French leader needs "mental treatment".

Campaigns in many counties as well as Erdoğan have called for a boycott of French products.