Erdogan, Turkish president, hits kid for not kissing his hand.

It was a troubling moment when Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, smacked a child's face simply because the child refused to kiss his hand. The incident, which was caught on camera, took place at the opening ceremony of the Aider Plateau Protection and Renewal Project in the northern Rize province on July 27th. In Turkey, it is customary to kiss the hand of an elder as a sign of respect, and Erdogan extended his hand for the boy to do so. However, the child seemed hesitant and before he could make a decision, Erdogan flicked his wrist, hitting the boy on the cheek.

Despite the impact of the slap, the child appeared to giggle and was not phased by the president's actions. He even went on to hug Erdogan and another boy who was also present at the event. As a gesture of goodwill, the president then gave both children some money as a gift. While some people downplayed the incident, arguing that the slap was not severe, it has sparked a heated debate on social media.

In fact, the footage of the incident has been widely circulated and has sparked discussions about the behavior of the Turkish president. Some people questioned how Erdogan treats people behind closed doors if he can openly hit a child in front of the camera. Others saw it as a reflection of the outdated patriarchy still prevalent in Turkey. On the other hand, some people came to Erdogan's defense, stating that in Turkish culture, kissing the hand of elders is a sign of respect and not doing so is considered disrespectful, especially at a young age.

This is not the first time Erdogan has been caught hitting a child publicly. In another incident in 2021, he hit a child on the head at an opening ceremony for the offense of cutting a ribbon too early. Whether it is a cultural norm or not, it is concerning to see a leader resorting to physical force to correct a child's behavior. It raises questions about the kind of values and principles being taught to the younger generation in Turkey.

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