Turkish PM attacks France for ban on full face veil

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused France of violating the freedom of religion on Wednesday after Paris began enforcing a law barring Muslim women from wearing full face veils in public.

Erdogan told the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that Turkey was the only Muslim country that had copied the French law on secularism, or separating church and state. "It's quite ironic to see that secularism is today under debate in Europe and is undermining certain freedoms," he said.

"Today in France, there is no respect for individual religious freedom," he said.

When a French parliamentarian rejected his accusation, Erdogan invited her to visit Turkey to see the situation for herself. "In Turkey, we say 'he comes from France' to describe someone who's a bit out of step," he commented.