The attack against the magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, and the ensuing massacre, reverberated in Turkey perhaps more than in any other Islamic country. This is not surprising since Turks are divided along the Islamist-secularist fault line, and are absorbed in their own debates about freedom of expression, and respect for different beliefs and lifestyles.

This divide was also apparent in the positions of various commentators in the Turkish media after the Paris attacks. The stance of liberal and secular commentators can be summed up easily because they reflected the positions of many of their Western counterparts. Many of them also joined liberal and secular Turks rallying outside the French Consulate in Istanbul, carrying placards reading “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie).

The situation on the Islamic side of the fence, however, showed variations with some providing well-known caveats, while others had conspiracy theories to explain what lay behind this attack. There were also influential Islamic voices who said Muslims had to unconditionally condemn and distance themselves from these attacks.

Aware of the sensitivity of the matter, and the fact that eyes in Europe and the United States were on him, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who can be abrasive when it comes to the difficulties faced by Muslims in the West, remained politically correct on this occasion.