A video of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slapping a five-year-old child and extending his hand for a kiss has gone viral on Persian-language social media. Mr. Erdogan attended a housing project inauguration ceremony on Sunday, August 29, in the city of Rize, located in northeastern Turkey by the Black Sea. During the event, a five-year-old child came up on stage and stood in front of the Turkish President. Following the tradition of kissing the hands of elders in his country, Mr. Erdogan extended his hand towards the child, and upon seeing the child's confusion, he softly slapped the child's face and extended his hand again for a kiss. The child, apparently understanding the President's intention, kissed Mr. Erdogan's hand and received a gift or tip (the Turkish tradition uses the Persian word 'bakhshesh'). Then, his older brother came up, kissed the hand, and received a tip as well. Erdogan embraced both brothers. In response, the opposition newspaper 'Cumhuriyet' published a satirical piece stating, 'The child, guided by Erdogan's entourage, finally understood the tradition of kissing the hands of elders and received the tip.' The newspaper Yeni Çağ (Modern Age) also reported that the five-year-old eventually grasped the situation and, in addition to the applause and laughter of the audience, received a 200 lira tip. The old tradition of children kissing the hands of elders and receiving gifts from them is common among Turkish citizens, and several Turkish media outlets covered Erdogan's slap to the five-year-old in their entertainment news sections. However, this incident received widespread attention among Iranian social media users and even Iranian media. The Mehr news agency reported, 'Erdogan slapped a child after he did not kiss his hand during the ceremony.' Khabar Online described Erdogan's slap to the child as 'shocking' due to the lack of a kiss. The severe government crackdown and the risk of protests going underground were also highlighted in the context of the article.
Reactions to Erdogan's Slap to a Five-Year-Old Child
Turkish President Erdogan slapped a five-year-old child during a public event after the child did not kiss his hand, which has sparked widespread reactions on social media, particularly among Iranian users. The incident reflects cultural traditions and has drawn criticism and humor from various media outlets.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
During a public event in Rize, Turkey, President Erdogan slapped a five-year-old child who did not initially kiss his hand, a traditional gesture of respect. The incident was widely shared and discussed, especially on Iranian social media.
- Erdogan slapped the child softly after a cultural misunderstanding.
- The event highlighted traditional customs of hand-kissing and gift-giving.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
In Turkey, it is traditional for children to kiss the hands of elders as a sign of respect, a custom that is also familiar in Iran. Erdogan's actions are often closely watched due to his influential role in regional politics.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%