ANKARA, Turkiye: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Tuesday, labeling it a “disgusting” attack on sacred values and an insult to the Christian world. He criticized the event as an imposition by the “LGBT lobby.”
The controversy centers around a segment of the opening ceremony that some Christian groups and conservative politicians believe parodied Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” painting. This scene angered many, who saw it as disrespectful to religious figures and values.
In response, Paris 2024 organizers apologized to Catholics and other Christian groups, emphasizing that their intention was to celebrate tolerance, not to show disrespect. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremony, clarified that the scene depicted a pagan feast linked to the gods of Olympus, not “The Last Supper.”
Addressing his ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara, Erdogan accused the Olympics of opening with animosity towards humanity and the values that define it. He announced his intention to discuss the matter with Pope Francis and called for more leaders to speak out against what he termed an “open attack on what is sacred.”
Erdogan also framed the opening ceremony as an example of the “LGBT lobby” imposing its values on Europe and the West through a “global atmosphere of fear.” Erdogan’s comments reflect his government’s increasingly tough stance towards the LGBTQ community, which has intensified since last year’s elections.
While homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, hostility towards the LGBTQ community is widespread, and police crackdowns on Pride parades have become more severe over the years.
