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French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Tuesday wearing dark aviator sunglasses indoors, reviving the look that first drew global attention earlier this year.
The eyewear, which quickly became a talking point as leaders gathered for the alliance's annual summit, is not a fashion statement but part of Macron's recovery from a minor eye condition that first appeared in January.
Macron landed in the Turkish capital for the alliance's 36th leaders summit, where he was welcomed at Esenboga Airport by Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan and other officials.
Shortly after his arrival, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and first lady Emine Erdogan hosted a reception at the Presidential Complex for heads of state, government leaders and their spouses attending the NATO summit.
Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, were welcomed by the Turkish presidential couple and posed for an official photograph, where the French president was again seen wearing his signature dark aviator sunglasses.
On Wednesday morning, ahead of the summit's main sessions, Macron was spotted wearing the sunglasses again as he went for a run at Segmenler Park in Ankara's Cankaya district.
The issue first drew widespread attention during the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, where Macron delivered a keynote speech wearing reflective aviator sunglasses indoors. Images of the appearance quickly spread across social media, fueling speculation before the Elysee Palace clarified the medical reason behind the eyewear.
The French presidency explained that Macron began wearing tinted glasses after developing a subconjunctival hemorrhage, a condition caused by a tiny blood vessel bursting beneath the clear membrane covering the white part of the eye.
While the condition can leave the eye visibly red, it is generally harmless and does not affect vision.
Doctors say a subconjunctival hemorrhage usually clears up on its own within one to two weeks and can occur spontaneously or after coughing, sneezing, heavy lifting, rubbing the eye, or a minor injury. In some cases, it can also cause temporary sensitivity to light.
According to the Elysee Palace's earlier statement, Macron's eyes became irritated and photosensitive, prompting him to wear dark sunglasses to reduce discomfort during public appearances. The presidency stressed that the condition is neither an illness nor an infection and requires no specific treatment.
Although officials initially described the condition as temporary, Macron has continued wearing the sunglasses at several public engagements in recent months, and his visit to Ankara for the NATO summit marked the latest example.
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