Gabriel Attal has been the government spokesperson since July.

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NICOLAS MESSYASZ / SIPA

France "will never give up" its values ​​despite "the attempts at destabilization," government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday, stressing "the very great European unity" in the face of criticism from Turkey and Muslim countries on Muhammad cartoons.

Gabriel Attal held a press conference after the Council of Ministers, he notably addressed the new episode of the diplomatic crisis with Turkey.

France has been the subject of "an increased terrorist threat in recent days, fueled by calls for hatred", but which "reinforces our desire to fight relentlessly against Islamism and all its avatars", added the government spokesperson, without further details.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on his fellow citizens to boycott French products, a few days after Paris recalled its ambassador to Ankara after the Turkish head of state questioned the "mental health" of his French counterpart .

"Very great European unity"

Turkey accuses French President Emmanuel Macron of having expressed support for the freedom to caricature the Prophet Mohammed, during a tribute to Samuel Paty, the French teacher killed by beheading for showing caricatures of Mohammed in class.

President Erdogan also rose up on Wednesday against a cartoon of him published Tuesday by the satirical weekly

Charlie Hebdo

, calling it a "vile attack" by "scoundrels".

"I have no additional announcements to make", specified Gabriel Attal before insisting on "the very great European unity" around the "principles" and "values ​​defended by France" and in the face of "intimidation that our country knows today ”.

He also made a point of "recalling very clearly that it is hateful remarks against journalists and against an editorial staff that have led to the attacks, tragedies, killings that we have experienced in recent years in our country", nearly two weeks after the beheading of a teacher who had shown caricatures of Muhammad to his students.

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