Erdogan slapped a little boy who refused to kiss his hand

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slapped a child who did not kiss his hand at a ceremony to hand over keys to apartments to earthquake-stricken residents in his hometown of Rize.

The children went up on stage to receive a gift from the president. The five-year-old, the youngest in the family, quickly approached Erdogan and looked at him silently. The politician gave him a light slap.

Then the child shook his hand, shook it, and then, after prompting from adults, kissed it and pressed his head to it. At this time, an older boy came up and hugged the president.

There is a tradition in Turkey for younger children to kiss the hands of their elders, especially grandparents and respected members of society. This is a way of showing respect for the age, experience and wisdom of the elder.