Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly smacked a small child in the face after the boy refused to kiss his hand, shocking video shows.
Erdoğan, 70, was handing out keys to residents whose homes were rebuilt as part of an urban renewal project in Rize in the country’s northeast on Saturday when two little boys approached him on the stage for some money, according to the Gazete Duvar.
Erdoğan held out his hand for the younger boy to kiss — a traditional sign of respect in Turkey — but the boy hesitated as he stared up at the president’s face.
When the boy did not oblige, the ill-tempered Turkish leader slapped the child on the cheek, video shows.
The boy, who has not been named, then shakes and kisses Erdoğan’s hand before the president gave the children some cash as a gift.
The video has gone viral on social media with many users expressing disgust.
“I wonder how he treats people behind closed doors if he can do that in front of the camera,” one user wondered.
“Isn’t that some high level of terrorism and abuse??” another questioned. “Why do they have to kiss his hand as a sign of respect??”
Others defended Erdoğan, noting that kissing elders’ hands is part of Turkish culture.
“If you don’t do it you get corrected. Especially at a young age,” one user wrote.
It’s not the first time Erdoğan has come under fire for slapping a child.
In 2021, he hit a boy on the head during a celebration for the opening of the Salarkha Tunnel in Rize after the child shook the ceremonial ribbon, according to The Sun.
The in 2023, the president publicly slapped his grandson in the face— but later claimed he was just “stroking” him.
Erdoğan has threatened to invade Israel amid escalating tensions in the region. He has critical of Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state.
Turkey “must be very strong so that Israel can’t do these ridiculous things to Palestine,” he told members of his Justice and Development Party at a meeting.
“Just like we entered Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we might do similar to them,” he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz shot back that Erdoğan would wind up dead like former Iraq president Saddam Hussein, who was publicly executed by hanging in 2006.
“Erdoğan follows in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and threatens to attack Israel. Just let him remember what happened there and how it ended,” Katz posted on X with a picture of Erdoğan and the former Iraqi leader.