Erdogan Tells Italian PM Meloni to Quit Smoking; She Responds With Humor.
While global leaders gathered in Egypt to discuss a lasting peace in the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan found a lighter target for his anti-smoking campaign — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On the sidelines of the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war and planning for Palestinian reconstruction, Erdogan was seen joking with Meloni, telling her he would “find a way” to make her quit smoking.
“I saw you coming down from the plane. You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking,” Erdogan said, according to footage aired by İhlas News Agency.
Standing nearby, French President Emmanuel Macron laughed and added, “It’s impossible!”
Meloni, in turn, responded with humor, warning that quitting might make her less sociable:
“I know, I know. I don’t want to kill somebody.”
In a book based on a series of interviews, Meloni has previously acknowledged that smoking sometimes helps her bond with world leaders, including Tunisian President Kais Saied. Erdogan, meanwhile, has been promoting a smoke-free Turkey, with Ankara rolling out its “Smoke-Free Türkiye” campaign for 2024-2028, focusing on awareness, cessation support, and youth protection against tobacco.
The informal exchange between Erdogan and Meloni provided a moment of levity during a high-stakes summit convened to support the ceasefire in Gaza, end ongoing hostilities, and build a framework for long-term governance and reconstruction of Palestinian territories.
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