Original article (in Albanian) was published on 05/10/2023; Author: Pustina Patris
A photo circulating on social media claims that Turkish President Erdogan and billionaire Elon Musk were friends in their youth. However, a fact-check conducted by “Faktoje” revealed that the photo has been manipulated.
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The photo of Recep Tayyip Erdogan alongside South African billionaire Elon Musk, both looking notably younger, has been making rounds on various social networks, including Albanian-speaking ones, following their recent high-profile meeting.
Upon conducting a reverse image search using Google Image Search, Faktoje discovered that the photo in question has been circulating in Turkish online spaces. However, it originally appeared in a 2021 tweet by the user @mambathwhite, who is known for creating humorous montages .
mambathewhite’s post
One of the most popular and amusing posts: a montage of the royal family brought together for a live broadcast confrontation.
Meanwhile, the original photo of the Turkish president in his youth, taken in 1995 or 1996, shows Erdogan alongside two other people, neither of whom is Elon Musk.
This photo has sparked controversy for the Turkish president, as it places Ali Erbaş, head of the Turkish Religious Affairs Committee, on his right side. Erbaş was previously accused of having links to the Turkish president’s political rival, Fetullah Gulen and his FETO movement. At one point, 25 years ago, he was one of Erdogan’s closest allies.
Original photo of Erdogan
Original photo of Elon Musk