Turkish President Erdogan jokingly told Italy’s Giorgia Meloni to stop smoking, prompting laughter at the Gaza peace summit.
A light-hearted exchange between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the Gaza peace summit in Egypt has gone viral.
In the short clip circulating on social media, Erdogan is seen greeting Meloni with a smile before playfully remarking, “I saw you coming down from the plane. You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking.” The Italian leader, slightly surprised but amused, laughed and responded, “I know, I know. I don’t want to kill somebody.”
Standing nearby, French President Emmanuel Macron joined in on the moment, chuckling and saying, “It’s impossible!”, prompting more laughter from those around.
— Solcu Gazete (@stock9008) October 13, 2025
The interaction took place on the sidelines of the Gaza peace summit, a diplomatic event attended by several world leaders, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump. The meeting focused on efforts to end the war in Gaza and shape a “new beginning” for the region’s post-war future.