Erdogan to call pope Francis over LGBT representation at Paris Olympics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced his intention to contact Pope Francis to discuss the portrayal of LGBT themes during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris.

Erdogan expressed his concerns during a meeting with regional leaders of the ruling Justice and Action Party, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"I will call the Pope [Francis] when the opportunity presents itself and will tell him that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris was a manifestation of disrespect to the entire Christian and Muslim world," Erdogan stated.

"The West has become a hostage to LGBT," Erdogan said, adding that he had initially been invited by the French president to attend the opening ceremony but decided against it after a conversation with his grandson.

"Grandfather, don’t go there. They will be propagandizing for LGBT," his grandson advised. Erdogan, known for his support of traditional family values, recalled his response: "Ok, I won’t go."

The opening ceremony on July 26 featured a controversial parody of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper," which sparked significant debate and backlash. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the ceremony, highlighting a perceived lack of culture and public morals in the West. "This event showed the depths to which cultural standards have fallen," Orban said.

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitri Peskov also condemned the ceremony, calling certain moments "absolutely disgusting" and expressing disappointment that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had approved the performance.

"It is a shame that such a display was given a platform," Peskov told TASS.