Turkey Clarifies Why Erdogan's Microphone Was Cut Off During "Two-State Solution" Conference

The Turkish Directorate of Communications has clarified why the microphone was cut off during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's speech at the "Settlement of the Palestine Issue and the Achievement of a Two-State Solution" conference in New York. The directorate stated that the incident was not a deliberate interruption, as was widely speculated on social media, but rather a result of the speaker exceeding the allocated time.

A video had been circulating on the X platform (formerly Twitter) showing the audio abruptly cutting out during Erdoğan's speech. The voice of the simultaneous interpreter could be heard saying, "I can no longer hear the president," while Erdoğan continued speaking.

According to Turkey's official Anadolu Agency, the directorate explained that conference procedures allocate five minutes for speeches by heads of state and government and three minutes for other speakers. It affirmed that the microphone automatically shuts off at the end of the designated time for technical reasons. The directorate pointed out that the same thing happened to the President of Indonesia, confirming that it was a routine, not an intentional, procedure.

In his speech, Erdoğan congratulated the countries that have recognized a Palestinian state, expressing his hope that these steps would accelerate the implementation of a two-state solution. He also criticized Benjamin Netanyahu's government, accusing it of aiming to make the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible and to force the Palestinian people to emigrate. He called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip.