Moment Turkish President Erdogan punches a child in the face for not kissing his hand when he extended it on stage

This is the moment the President of Turkey punches a child in the face on stage for not kissing his hand after he extended it.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was attending the opening ceremony of the Aider Plateau Protection and Renewal Project in the northern province of Rize on July 27 when the incident occurred.

During the event, where the leader handed over keys to the new homeowners of houses that had been rebuilt as part of an urbanization project, two young boys appeared on stage to greet the president after he delivered a short speech.

In footage that went viral, Erdogan was seen reaching out to the two children for a kiss, but one of them hesitated and looked at the president.

Viewers were shocked as Erdogan quickly slapped the little boy in the face with his wrist before returning to his stance and waiting for his kiss.

Turkey’s president has sparked controversy online after he was seen hitting a young boy in the face during a ceremony in northern Rize

Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit the young child when he did not kiss his hand after he extended it to him on stage

The child appeared to giggle after the blow, but continued to look at the president for a moment before finally giving him a kiss on the back of his hand.

Erogan, who appeared to forgive the boy’s behavior, gave the two children some money as a gift and hugged them before they climbed off the stage.

Although the child did not appear to be impressed by the “slap”, the gesture sparked a debate on social media, with some users criticizing the Turkish leader’s behavior.

Someone wrote: ‘I wonder how he deals with people behind closed doors when he can do it in front of the camera’.

Another said: ‘That’s disgusting of Erdogan’.

“This world is making me sicker by the day,” a third commented.

However, some users defended the president’s actions, stating that kissing an elder’s hand is a sign of respect in Turkish culture.

One user said: ‘Awesome. Kissing the hands of your elders, parents and grandparents is a sign of respect, especially in Turkey.

‘If you don’t do it, you will be corrected. Especially at a young age’.

But this is not the first time Erdogan has come under fire for such an incident.

Earlier, the leader slapped a child when he asked for an autograph on a Turkish national team T-shirt.

In 2021, Erdogan was spotted hitting a boy on the head after shaking the tape at the opening of the Salarkha tunnel in Rize.

Last year, the president publicly slapped his grandson but later claimed he was “petting” him, sources said.

This came after Erdogan made headlines on Sunday with his open threat to invade Israel in support of Palestine.

“We have to be very strong so that Israel cannot do these kinds of things to Palestine,” Erdogan said, referring to the war against Hamas in Gaza.

‘As soon as we entered [Nagorno-]Karabakh, just like we entered Libya, we could do the same to them. There is nothing we cannot do. We just have to be strong.’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September 2023

Yesterday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz demanded that NATO expel Turkey over Erdogan’s threats to send troops to Israel.

“In light of Turkish President Erdogan’s threats to invade Israel and his dangerous rhetoric, Foreign Minister Israel Katz has instructed diplomats to urgently contact all NATO members, calling for condemnation of Turkey and demanding its withdrawal from the regional alliance,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose party is the largest in the Netherlands, called Erdogan an “Islamofascist” and “totally crazy” in a social media post on Sunday after the president’s remarks. He added that Turkey “should be kicked out of NATO.”

Wilders has long advocated expelling Turkey from NATO, despite the fact that the country joined the alliance in 1952 and has the second largest army.

Erdogan’s comments follow his earlier call on the Islamic world to take action against Israel.

In May he said: “I have a few words for the Islamic world: What are you waiting for to make a joint decision?”

“Israel poses a threat not only to Gaza, but to all of humanity,” he said.

“No state is safe as long as Israel does not abide by international law and does not feel bound by international law,” Erdogan added, repeating the accusation that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza.

He also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “vampire” and accused him of killing “innocent civilians in their tents.”

Turkey has also suspended all trade with Israel due to the ongoing offensive in Gaza.

NATO does not have a specific mechanism to suspend or expel a member, although members can withdraw voluntarily.