Rabat – At an event in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shared concerns over the violent clashes which erupted on Saturday between demonstrators and law enforcement in Paris.
Speaking at a rally, Erdogan condemned Europe’s failure to uphold democracy and human rights adequately.
The Turkish president said he is both against the “chaos ” caused by demonstrators and the “excessive use” of violence by police.
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Erdogan also denied claims that Islam and refugees are the cause of instability.
In his address, the president said, “Those who provoked hostility against migrants and Islamophobia fell in their own trap.”
“Turkey is against the violence,” Erdogan added.
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Protesters and French police clashed on Saturday, with France deploying armored cars to face the protests.
Protesters set fire to a law enforcement vehicle, which led to further escalation.
The yellow vest protests started in November in Paris, but have spread to other European cities, including Brussels. The protesters are denouncing rising fuel taxes and living costs in Europe.
About 125,000 demonstrators marched in France as part of the movement. The French government deployed 8,000 police to face Saturday’s protests.
Police arrested more than 1,000 protesters yesterday.
