Turkish media criticises opening ceremony of Olympic Games in France

Turkish media have criticised the organisation of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.

TRTHaber TV highlighted controversial footage from the event, describing it as a “festival of world sports” that deviates significantly from traditional sports ethics and values, Caliber.Az reports citing the local media.

The presenter noted that Turkish TV channels had to interrupt their live broadcast from France in response to perceived attacks on traditional family and religious values.

Associate Professor Enes Bayrakli from the Turkish-German University highlighted on TRTHaber that the 2024 Summer Olympics organizers have faced significant criticism, even from Western sources.

Bayrakli drew comparisons with other recent international events, noting, "For instance, the World Cup in Qatar was conducted smoothly without any major scandals or criticism directed at its organizers." CNN Turk also highlighted widespread negative reactions towards the organizers of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

The TV channel reported that dissatisfaction was fueled by the participation of performers dressed as Jesus Christ and his apostles at the Last Supper during the ceremony. Expert Coskun Basbug was cited, expressing that France had transformed the Olympic Games into a platform for promoting controversial ideologies and undermining traditional family and religious values.

Basbug added, "The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games exposed a crisis of values in the West, including France." Additionally, HaberGlobal TV highlighted another controversy in Paris regarding the French media's biased coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony.

According to the Turkish TV channel, provocative statements about Azerbaijan were made during a live broadcast on France 2. The presenter referred to Azerbaijan as a "Caucasian republic in a territorial conflict with Armenia," while describing Armenia as a country "historically close to the heart of the French people."

Ayhan Sarı, an expert from the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), told Haber Global that the double standards in Western journalism are not new. He pointed out that Türkiye has frequently faced biased coverage from Western media, including French outlets. "For instance, during broadcasts of Turkish football matches, Western TV channels often avoid showing Turkish fans while repeatedly highlighting fans of European teams with religious symbols. This same duplicity is evident in the coverage of Azerbaijan," Sarı remarked.

The expert emphasized that the controversy on French television regarding Azerbaijan was neither an accident nor a spontaneous action by the presenters. "It is a deliberate and planned provocation orchestrated by the French state television channel," he added.

He noted that claims about freedom of speech in the West are misleading, as media outlets often operate according to directives and guidelines. "France's efforts to incite tension in the South Caucasus do not align with Armenia's own interests," the expert added.

Sözcü Gazetesi newspaper also reported another incident at the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, where the South Korean team was mistakenly announced as the North Korean team during the athlete parade.