Erdoğan Urges Italian Prime Minister Meloni to Quit Smoking, Sparking International Coverage
ROME - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan advised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to quit smoking during a recent meeting, a moment that has garnered attention in both Italian and international media. the exchange occurred while the two leaders shook hands,according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
The incident highlights Erdoğan’s well-known advocacy against tobacco use.Politico’s European edition reported on the exchange with the headline, “Erdogan wants Meloni to quit smoking, but Macron thinks this is a hopeless case.” The article noted meloni responded to Erdoğan’s suggestion with a joke, stating she might be hazardous if she stopped smoking.
Reports indicate Meloni previously quit smoking 13 years ago but has since resumed the habit. This was detailed in a book based on a series of interviews with the Prime Minister, as reported by the Croatian news portal Index.
Serbian Politics newspaper described Erdoğan’s warning as delivered in a “distinctive, half-joking tone.” The exchange underscores Erdoğan’s ongoing anti-tobacco campaign and has become a talking point among international observers.
