A rather awkward moment was expected to live the Emmanuel Macron – that for his bad luck was imprinted on videos and photos- in his hands Tayyip Erdogan.
In the evidence (video) it appears Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan catching his French counterpart fingers, Emmanuel Macron during the European Political Community Summit (EPC) in Albania.
The video has gone viral on social media, with users pointing out that this embarrassing gesture of the Turkish president may have to do with a demonstration of power and power.
How did it happen? The awkward moment begins when Emmanuel Macron approaches the seated Erdogan to give him his hand. The unsuspecting Erdogan suddenly grasps Macron’s hands, as the French president seems busy as he talks to another person in the background.
In the midst of this, the Macron extends his other hand to Erdogan as he tries to release his handsbut Erdogan holds the French leader’s middle finger as they exchange a few conversations.
According to diplomatic whispers, at the summit in Tirana, French President Emmanuel Macron tried to assert dominance during a handshake by placing his hand over Erdogan’s — a classic gesture meant to show control.
But the… pic.twitter.com/UHcJBfAM7m
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 17, 2025
The 15 -second clip shows Macron In an awkward posture as Erdogan continues to hold his fingers before leaving it.
Turkish media presented it as Erdogan’s retaliation in Macron’s supposed attempt to consolidate his “psychological superiority by putting his hand on the shoulder of the Turkish president”.
“But Erdogan did not allow it, he kept his finger tightly and did not leave it,” he concluded.
Some users in X wrote that Erdogan’s body language showed a position of weakness and looked like it had “dementia”. “Body language = Erdogan has dementia,” one user wrote.
Another user said that was Erdogan’s diplomatic masterpiece. «Erdogan is a master in the geopolitical and the “boys” from Europe are amateurs. You can’t win Erdogan. “
A third user said that Macron fell straight into Erdogan’s trap.
The EPS summit gathered leaders from 47 countries to strengthen regional security and promoting political stability across Europe. While the summit focused on critical issues such as Ukraine and immigration, it was marked by several memorable moments.
One of the top snapshots was the warm and theatrical reception of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.
Kneeling on the red carpet, Rama’s gesture, which coincided with Melon’s 48th birthday, He caught global attention and fascinated the online audiences.