Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has strongly refuted viral claims that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was deliberately kept waiting or humiliated during sideline meetings at the International Forum for Peace and Trust.
The rumors stemmed from a now-deleted social media post by RT India, which alleged Sharif waited over 40 minutes for a scheduled bilateral with Russian President Vladimir Putin before entering an ongoing discussion between Putin and Erdoğan. The post, which sparked widespread online mockery particularly in Indian media circles, described the incident as Sharif “gatecrashing” the meeting out of impatience and leaving shortly after.
Erdoğan, in a direct clarification, labeled the narratives as false and propagated by “Indian and anti-Pakistan propagandists.” He emphasized that his own protocol schedule prioritized a meeting with Sharif first, followed by talks with Putin, indicating no intentional delay or slight.
RT India later acknowledged the potential misrepresentation, stating: “We deleted an earlier post about Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif waiting to meet Vladimir Putin… The post may have been a misrepresentation of the events.”
Pakistani sources described Sharif’s interaction as a coordinated brief trilateral exchange, where he discussed bilateral and regional issues with both leaders. Pro-Pakistan accounts highlighted the encounter as positive, with one noting Sharif as “the center of global attention.”
The episode unfolded on December 12 during the forum marking the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s UN-recognized permanent neutrality. Sharif also held meetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other regional leaders.
While Indian outlets like Times of India, India Today, and NDTV initially amplified the “gatecrash” narrative with viral videos, subsequent reports included fact-checks questioning the portrayal. Pakistani media and supporters countered that the claims were exaggerated propaganda.
The incident underscores ongoing sensitivities in India-Pakistan relations, with social media amplifying unverified clips into diplomatic controversies. No official statements from Russian or Pakistani sides confirmed any embarrassment, and Erdoğan’s remarks appear to align with protocol accounts favoring a planned multilateral format.
This clarification has shifted focus back to substantive discussions at the forum, including regional stability and peace initiatives.
