7 hours ago
In the short video, which quickly went viral, Erdogan is seen greeting Meloni with a broad smile before quipping, "I saw you coming down from the plane. You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Photo:X/@ihacomtr)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 14, 2025 05:30 IST
A brief exchange between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni drew attention at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit on Monday, after footage of their interaction surfaced online.
In the short video, which quickly went viral, Erdogan is seen greeting Meloni with a broad smile before quipping, "I saw you coming down from the plane. You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking."
Standing nearby, French President Emmanuel Macron joined in with a laugh, responding, "It’s impossible!"
Meloni, caught slightly off guard but amused, laughed back and said, "I know, I know. I don’t want to kill somebody."
This comes as Turkey has made progress on tobacco control in recent years with bans, regulations, media campaigns and health issues.
Many users on the internet called it the "most human moment" of the summit.
Meloni has previously revealed in interviews that she began smoking again after quitting for 13 years.
WORLD LEADERS MEET IN EGYPT
Meanwhile, leaders at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit turned their attention to stabilising the Gaza ceasefire. The summit, co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, brought together more than 20 world leaders to discuss regional stability and postwar reconstruction.
According to the Israeli military, Hamas released the remaining 20 living hostages as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of conflict in Gaza. In return, Israel freed more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, with buses seen arriving in Ramallah and Gaza.
US President Donald Trump, who travelled to the region for the summit, called the truce a "turning point for peace" and discussed postwar plans with other leaders. Officials said a new surge of humanitarian aid -- including food, water and medical supplies -- was expected to enter Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have been left homeless after months of bombardment.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Oct 14, 2025
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