France to Turkey’s state-run news agency: A propaganda body spreading fake news
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Affiliated with the Interior Ministry of France, the Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Crime and Radicalization (CIPDR) has criticized Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) on social media.
In a series of tweets yesterday (April 27), the CIPDR said that "while Anadolu Agency presents itself as a news agency, in reality, it is not," adding that "it is a propaganda body that publishes opinion pieces on its site attacking France in a deceptive and slanderous manner."
Accusing the AA of "keeping on spreading fake news about France," the Committee defined the news agency as a "propaganda body" which "claims that the country will target its Muslim citizens." Referring to this allegation, the Committee said, "This is intolerable."
Reminding the public about a law in France that says that "the Republic ensures freedom of conscience and guarantees the free exercise of worship," the Committee further indicated that "all citizens of the country, both believers and non-believers, are treated equally."
It emphasized that France is a secular country.
News sealed as 'fake'
The Committee also shared some examples from news reports of the AA. "Anadolu accuses France of wanting to 'criminalize a part of its population for their opinions and religious affiliation.' This is totally wrong," the Committee said, placing a "fake" seal on the news report.
Quelques exemples récents : ce 27 avril, dans une tribune d’opinion, Anadolu relaie l’accusation selon laquelle la France voudrait criminaliser « une partie de la population pour ses opinions et sa supposée appartenance religieuse ». Ceci est totalement faux. pic.twitter.com/G7bHCaSjTZ
— SG-CIPDR (@SG_CIPDR) April 27, 2021
Sharing another news report from April 22, the CIPDR said that the allegation that "France wants to silence Muslims" is "totally wrong."
Concluding its statement, the Committee noted that the state of France "recognizes all its citizens, without distinction of origin or religion and respects all beliefs," adding that "the state is fully and daily engaged in the struggle against all racism and anti-Semitism."
"France does not tolerate the spreading of lies and slanders that undermine its founding principles of universalism and humanism," it added. (HA/SD)