Turkish President Erdoğan slammed after 'slapping' a child

Turkish President Erdoğan has been slammed online after shocking footage appeared to show him "slapping" a child.

President Erdoğan faced backlash after the video went viral. Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

On July 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the opening ceremony of the Aider Plateau Protection and Renewal Project in the northern Rize province.

During the event, two young boys appeared on stage to greet the leader after he delivered a short speech.

The 70-year-old then extended his hand for the children to kiss - which is a traditional sign of respect in the country. However, one of the kids hesitated which led to the president publically "slapping" him on the cheek.

The boy, who has not been named, appeared to laugh after the slap. He then looked up at Erdoğan before finally shaking and placing a kiss on the top of his hand.

The older leader seemingly forgave the unidentified children as he gifted them money before embracing them.

Although the kid did not seem fazed by the "slap", the gesture sparked outrage on social media, with many people condemning the Turkish leader's behavior.

One user wrote: "Disgusting, not strange," while another said: "Pure power and no care towards childhood innocence."

A third remarked: "Well that's f***ed," and a fourth questioned: "Why do they have to kiss his hand as a sign of respect??”

Others defended Erdoğan and noted that kissing elders’ hands is part of Turkish culture. "In Turkish culture, it is a custom to kiss the hand of people older your age especially older generations," one person pointed out to which someone responded: "It’s still not okay to slap a child of a stranger. that’s having no manners."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was slammed after "slapping" a child. Credit: Anadolu / Getty

This is not the first time Erdoğan, who previously served as the 25th prime minister from 2003 to 2014, has come under fire for such an incident.

Back in 2021, the president was seen "hitting" a kid on the head during a celebration for the opening of the Salarkha Tunnel in Rize after the child shook the ceremonial ribbon, as reported by The Sun.

And last year, he was also spotted publicly "slapping" his grandson, but later alleged that he was "stroking" him, per the outlet. 

Featured image credit: Anadolu / Getty