Turkish President Erdogan ‘declares war’ on Russia thanks to an interpreter’s blunder in front of a stunned Vladimir Putin
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appeared to dramatically declare war on a surprised Vladimir Putin when they met today.
The Russian dictator appeared momentarily stunned when the interpreter mistranslated the Ankara president’s opening speech at a summit in Sochi.
“There is war between Russia and Turkey,” read the Turkish-Russian translation of Erdogan’s remarks.
Turkey is a NATO state, so such a war would engulf the whole world.
“The current situation between Ukraine and Russia… This is the background of this visit,” Erdogan said, making it clear that he wanted to act as a broker in the grain deal to feed the world’s poorest countries.
The Russian dictator seemed momentarily stunned when the interpreter translated the opening speech of the president of Ankara at a summit in Sochi. “There is war between Russia and Turkey,” read the Turkish-Russian translation of Erdogan’s remarks
The translation continued: ‘And your invitation – we are glad to have received this invitation. My delegation welcomes this invitation’
Telegram channel Crimean Wind called an ‘epic mistake’ by the official interpreter at the summit between Turkey, a NATO member, and Russia
‘And your invitation, we are glad to have received this invitation. My delegation welcomes this invitation.’
Telegram channel Crimean Wind called an “epic mistake” by the official interpreter at the summit between Turkey, a NATO member, and Russia.
It was unclear whether the male interpreter was Russian or Turkish.
The official account of Erdogan’s remarks shows that it was not he who made the mistake, but the interpreter’s.
It was a rare visit for a foreign leader to an isolated Putin ostracized for his bloody war with Ukraine.
Russia is ready to deliver up to one million tons of grain at a preferential price via Turkey to the poorest countries, the dictator said.
It was unclear whether the male interpreter was Russian or Turkish. The official record of Erdogan’s remarks shows he didn’t make the mistake – it was the interpreter’s (pictured here: Putin looks at Erdogan after the interpretation blunder)
It was a rare visit for a foreign leader to an isolated Putin ostracized for his bloody war with Ukraine. Russia is ready to deliver up to one million tons of grain at a preferential price via Turkey to the poorest countries, the dictator said.
Erdogan, 69, agreed to travel to Russia after Putin, 70, refused to go abroad to Turkey.
Some say this is due to paranoia about being arrested for war crimes, others that he suffers from hidden health issues.
Putin used his press conference to claim he had been duped by the West over the Black Sea grain export deal – a well-known accusation.
“As usual, it often happens that way with our Western partners, they cheated us again,” the dictator said. “And didn’t do what they promised—again.”
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