On Jan. 11, when Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu marched alongside world leaders in Paris to honor the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, back in Turkey, members of the Aczimendi religious order performed funereal prayers to honor the perpetrators of the attacks. Other religious groups tweeted public invitations to prayer sessions for the perpetrators. Referred to as the “Kouachi brothers,” these men were not terrorists in the eyes of several religious sects in Turkey.
Indeed, in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) municipality of Tatvan in Bitlis province, a billboard was posted, reading: “May peace be upon the Kouachi brothers who sought the revenge of the Prophet. When you [Western world] kill it is called democracy, when we seek revenge [it is called] terrorism.” Tatvan’s mayor told the media that individuals posted the sign without the knowledge of his office and it was promptly removed. Yet, it was enough to cause a stir on social media. One tweet read: “A manly statement from Tatvan. While some are fawning over the French [dogs], Tatvan is standing tall.” The tweet used #Parismarch as a hashtag, indicating the user's disapproval of Davutoglu’s participation in the march.