Erdogan Criticizes French Request to Remove Passages From the Koran

Earlier, an open letter in Le Parisien newspaper was published. It debated verses of the Koran calling for the "murder and punishment of Jews, Christians and disbelievers" and says these should be removed because they are "obsolete."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday lashed out at a French manifesto calling for certain passages of the Koran to be removed in response to rising anti-Semitism.

"Who are you to attack our scriptures? We know how vile you are," Erdogan stressed.

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"Have they ever read their books, the Bible? Or the Torah?" Erdogan said, adding: "If they had read them, they probably would want to ban the Bible."

Turkey's president also addressed Islamophobia in the West, adding that Turkey had warned of "Islamophobia, anti-Turkish feeling, xenophobia and racism."