A journalist at the joint press conference concluding the Turkish president's visit to Moldova noted that Erdogan behaved strangely during the speech of Moldovan President Igor Dodon — he was shuffling memory cards, adjusting the microphone and mostly looking down.
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At one point the camera caught what looked like the Turkish president falling asleep amid Dodon's speech, as his eyes slowly closed and his head went down. Several seconds later his eyes were open again and he started looking through his notes and writing something down. The journalist that posted the video excerpts from the presser suggested that Erdogan fell asleep several times during the event.
#Turkey president #Erdogan is so excited to meet his #Moldova counterpart that he falls a sleep during a joint presser with his host President Igor Dodon in capital city Chisinau. pic.twitter.com/mHfa0lg4wk
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 17, 2018
Here comes the second round of dozing off for #Turkey president Erdogan who later pretends to be writing with a pen and shuffling memory cards as #Moldova presdient Igor Dodon continues to speak. pic.twitter.com/6httIwAKH5
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 17, 2018
Third time is not the charm for drowsy #Erdogan as he struggles to keep those eyelids from closing while the joint press event is ongoing and televised live in #Moldova. pic.twitter.com/Dc6uGRjyTw
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 17, 2018
Erdogan came to Moldova on a two-day visit on October 17 in a bid to discuss bilateral relations and boost ties between the countries. The Turkish president said that relations between Ankara and Chisinau had reached the stage of strategic cooperation. Erdogan recalled a recent joint operation, when Moldova found several members of the Fethullah Gulen Movement (considered a terrorist organization by Ankara) and expelled them to Turkey.