Charlie Hebdo cartoon on Turkey earthquake draws ire

Cartoon appears to mock the devastating earthquake that killed thousands in Turkey and Syria

A cartoon mocking the devastating earthquake that killed thousands in Turkey and Syria was published in the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo, triggering strong reactions on social media.

The magazine shared the cartoon by artist Pierrick Juin in a tweet on Monday. The heading of the image is: "Earthquake in Turkey".

Illustrating heaps of rubble and collapsing buildings, the cartoon is captioned: "Don't even need to send tanks!".

✏️Le dessin du jour, par #Juin pic.twitter.com/kPcEqZDocO

— Charlie Hebdo (@Charlie_Hebdo_) February 6, 2023

 

Many users have reacted to the cartoon with anger, criticising it for making light of the devastating earthquake that has killed at least 20,000 people and left many homeless.

Dr Omar Suleiman, a US Muslim scholar, condemned the cartoon for celebrating the tragedy, calling the French magazine a "despicable publication".

"Mocking the death of thousands of Muslims is the 'peak of how France has dehumanized us in every way'," he added.

“Tanks are no longer needed” they say in celebration.

What a despicable publication. Always has been. Mocking the death of thousands of Muslims is the peak of how France has dehumanized us in every way.

And the crazy thing is that we can’t even say this is a new low for you. https://t.co/8jWYhlCzvk

— Dr. Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) February 7, 2023

Reactions from users on Twitter came in Turkish, French and English, denouncing the cartoon, and calling Charlie Hebdo a "disgrace to humanity" for publishing it.

Read Rescues provide glimmer of hope among Turkey quake ruins as toll tops 20,000

The cartoon was accused of promoting hate speech and was called "racist" by Twitter users.

A Turkish presidential spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, also reacted to the drawing. "Modern barbarians!" he tweeted. "Suffocate in your hatred and grudges."

Modern barbarlar!
Kin ve nefretinizde boğulun. https://t.co/FS2S4WGR5C

— İbrahim Kalın (@ikalin1) February 7, 2023

Interpretations

The satirical cartoon can be interpreted as a comment on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attacks against Kurdish militias in northern Syria, a region that corresponds to the areas affected by the earthquake, reported DW News.

The German news agency said that the cartoon could also be interpreted as an indirect reference to Europe's weapons exports. Germany's hesitation to send tanks to Ukraine has been a topic of international discussion.

In the 1990s, Germany provided hundreds of tanks to Turkey, a NATO ally, with the only condition being that it did not sell or give them to any third party. Turkey later used those tanks in a 2018 military operation against Kurds in northern Syria, added DW News.

French magazine Charlie Hebdo is infamous for its provocative illustrations that have often caused controversy.

In 2013, the magazine published a blasphemous caricature on its cover. earthquake in Italy.