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Mixed Turkish reactions to Paris massacre

The government’s attempt to be politically correct in its condemnation of the attack on Charlie Hebdo is not reflected by all elements of the ruling party and the Islamist media.
Switzerland's President Simonetta Sommaruga (L), Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (2ndL), Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (3rdL), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Angel Gurria (3rdR), Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel (2ndR) take part with dozens of foreign leaders in a solidarity march (Marche Republicaine) in the streets of Paris January 11, 2015. Hundreds of thousands of French citizens will be joined by dozens of foreign leaders, among them
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The attack against the magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, and the ensuing massacre, reverberated in Turkey perhaps more than in any other Islamic country. This is not surprising since Turks are divided along the Islamist-secularist fault line, and are absorbed in their own debates about freedom of expression, and respect for different beliefs and lifestyles.

This divide was also apparent in the positions of various commentators in the Turkish media after the Paris attacks. The stance of liberal and secular commentators can be summed up easily because they reflected the positions of many of their Western counterparts. Many of them also joined liberal and secular Turks rallying outside the French Consulate in Istanbul, carrying placards reading “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie).

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