Watch: Turkey’s power play? Erdogan seizes spotlight with Macron’s finger

A video showing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan grabbing the fingers of his French counterpart during the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Albania has gone viral on social media, with users pointing out how this awkward gesture by the Turkish president might have something to do with the display of power and authority.

It starts when Emmanuel Macron comes to a seated Erdogan to shake hands. An unsuspecting Erdogan suddenly grabs Macron’s hands and starts patting them, as the French president seems busy chatting with another person in the background.

Amidst this, Macron extends his other hand to Erdogan as he tries to free his hands but Erdogan quickly holds on to the French leader’s middle finger as they exchange a few words.

The 15-second clip shows Macron in an uncomfortable body position as Erdogan keeps holding his fingers, before letting it go.

The video is now making rounds on internet, with commentators speculating about Erdogan’s subtle messaging through his seemingly embarrassing act.

One Turkish media outlet spun this as Erdogan’s retaliation to Macron’s alleged attempt at establishing his “psychological superiority by putting his hand on the Turkish president’s shoulder.”

“But Erdogan did not allow it, he held his finger tightly and did not let go,” the Turkish media outlet concluded.

Some users on X wrote that Erdogan’s body language exhibited a position of weakness and it looked like he has “dementia”. “Body language = Erdogan has dementia,” one user wrote.

Another user said it was a diplomatic masterstroke by Erdogan. “Erdogan is a master in geopolitics and the ‘boys’ from Europe are amateurs. You can’t win from Erdogan.”

A third user said Macron fell right into Erdogan’s finger trap.

The EPC Summit brought together leaders from 47 countries to enhance regional security and promote political stability across Europe. While the summit focused on critical issues like Ukraine and migration, it was marked by several memorable moments.

One highlight was Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s warm and theatrical welcome of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Kneeling on one knee on the red carpet and offering a respectful ‘namaste,’ Rama’s gesture, coinciding with Meloni’s 48th birthday, captured global attention and charmed online audiences.