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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's microphone was automatically cut off during his speech at a high-level Palestine summit at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, sparking controversy over whether the incident was technical or deliberate.
The disruption occurred during the "International Conference on Finding a Solution to the Palestinian Issue and Implementation of the Two-State Solution," co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Erdogan's microphone was shut off after exactly five minutes of speaking, preventing his concluding remarks from being heard by the audience in the hall or television viewers worldwide. The incident drew audible reactions from attendees in the assembly hall.
Before being cut off, Erdogan had declared that "a great humanitarian disaster has been occurring in our region for nearly two years due to the increasing attacks of the Israeli government." He added, "The massacre in Gaza, which has cost the lives of more than 65,000 people, continues with all its severity. No one who puts their hand on their conscience can accept what is happening. Moreover, they cannot remain silent in the face of such genocide."
Türkiye's Communications Directorate later issued a statement clarifying that the microphone cutoff was automatic and procedural, not deliberate. According to the directorate, conference rules allocated five minutes for heads of state and government, and three minutes for other speakers.
"Our President's speech was limited to a 5-minute period within this framework. Therefore, there is no question of our President not being allowed to speak or his words being cut off," the statement read.
The directorate explained that Erdogan's speech exceeded the time limit because it was "interrupted from time to time by applause," causing the microphone to shut off automatically at the five-minute mark. The statement noted that Indonesia's president experienced a similar automatic cutoff under the same procedural rules.
Despite the official explanation, some Turkish media outlets have suggested the incident may have been sabotage, though no evidence has been presented to support such claims. The Communications Directorate emphasized that Türkiye maintains the highest level of representation at the UN General Assembly, with Erdogan's speeches continuing to shape the global agenda and generate widespread attention.
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