The incident happened to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the province of Rize.
There he took part in the ceremony of presenting keys to apartments to families affected by natural disasters.
During the event, the head of state slapped a child in the face – he, as the portal “HERE NEWS”, refused to kiss the leader of the nation’s hand.
After the boy “corrected himself” and kissed his hand, Erdogan hugged him close and gave him money, following local traditions.
Russian media report that Turkey’s central television channels did not focus on what happened.
But on social networks the incident was discussed for a long time and heatedly.
Many users, having studied the footage, came to the conclusion that what happened should not be interpreted as rough treatment of a child.
In their opinion, a light slap in the face is just a humorous reminder of Turkish traditions.
And the latter involve kissing the hands of elders and placing them on the forehead as a sign of respect.
