A controversial incident occurred during an opening ceremony for houses being rebuilt as part of urban transformation in Rize province in northern Turkey, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan waddling slightly with a boy.
After his speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held the keys of the new homes ready to hand over to the owners. Two children from one family entered the stage in front of their parents. Erdoğan extended his hand to the children to receive a traditional hand kiss, which is considered a sign of respect in Turkey.
When one of the children did not kiss his hand and looked at Erdoğan for a while, the president gave the boy a gentle slap. After kissing the hand, the Turkish president handed the child a banknote.
Such a hand kiss is based on the values - “sevgi, Saygı, sadakat” – in German: “love, respect and loyalty.” From a young age in Turkish culture it is taught to kiss the hand of one’s elders and then place one’s forehead towards theirs as a sign of respect.
On social media, opinions on the incident are divided. Some users are downplaying the act and claiming it is a cultural tradition. Others, however, are sharply critical of the reaction and consider it inappropriate behavior on the part of the president.
Source: Krone
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