Le Point journal put Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the cover with the caption “dictator” in last week’s issue, and asked: “How far will Erdoğan go?” The issue included an extensive dossier on Erdoğan’s network and crimes in France, and his delusions of grandeur.

The journal’s issue with the “Dictator” cover was pulled from some kiosk windows due to attacks by Erdoğan supporters and pressure from the Erdoğan regime. Mayor of Pointet, in the Vaucluse region, had demanded that the Le Point posters be put back up. The police had had to take precautions against attacks by Erdoğan supporters against some distributors.

Charlie Hebdo Editor in Chief Riss announced support for Le Point in the article titled “I’m Le Point”:

“Fascists who resort to threats and intimidation tactics to get rid of posters of a journal in a free country, because that’s what they deserve to be called, have inadvertently shown how appropriate the cover was. They don’t want Erdoğan to be called a dictator, but they act like servants of a one. What good would it do to object to fans of a tyrant with rational arguments? Totalitarianism is characterized by obedience to power and ideological arbitrariness.”

FEAR REINS OVER THE MEDIA

The magazine pointed out that beyond this attack, there are many threats to freedom of expression:

“Fear is already present in the media. Freedom of expression has become very fragile, especially in issues like religion, and Islam in particular. One has to think twice before writing or drawing anything on subjects that have become extremely sensitive.”

FEW INCHES IN FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION REQUIRE CENTURIES

“Thermites have already started to gnaw on the foundations of our fundamental freedoms,” said the article in Charlie Hebdo and concluded with: “An advance of a few inches in regards to freedom of expression requires centuries. And just a few seconds of negligence is all it takes to lose it all.” With this article, the magazine protested politicians who remained silent in the face of the attack against Le Point, and the journalists and “en mode” intellectuals who “gave lectures”. Le Point thanked Charlie Hebdo for the support in another article.