Turkey won’t tolerate insults to Erdogan

Turkey’s prime minister says his country will not tolerate any insults directed toward President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “honor,” following German television programs that mocked him.

Ahmet Davutoglu says Tuesday any insults to Erdogan amount to insulting the Turkish people’s honor and would not go without a “response.”

Last month, Turkey summoned Germany’s ambassador to complain about a song aired by a channel that poked fun at Erdogan. A German comedian later read an offensive poem on another German channel as an example of something that wouldn’t be allowed in Turkey.

Davutoglu says he discussed the poem with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and welcomed a statement by her spokesman who said Monday that “satire takes place within our country’s press and media freedom, which — as you know — is not unlimited.”

— AP