Putin’s wink at reporter goes viral after Erdogan talks at Turkmenistan forum | Watch

Putin’s wink at reporter goes viral after Erdogan talks at Turkmenistan forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin drew attention at an international forum in Turkmenistan after he appeared to wink at a reporter moments after concluding talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A brief video of the gesture, shared by RT India on X, has since gone viral across social media platforms.

The clip shows Putin pausing, looking towards the camera, and making a subtle eye gesture as he exited the venue. The moment quickly gained traction online, becoming one of the most widely shared visuals from the International Peace and Trust Forum held in Ashgabat.

❗️Vladimir Putin coyly winks at journalist after talks with Turkish President Erdogan

Good sign? pic.twitter.com/DNWYuoE8AR — RT (@RT_com) December 12, 2025

Putin and Erdogan were attending the forum to mark the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s declaration of permanent neutrality. The event, organised as part of the UN’s International Year of Peace and Trust 2025, brought together leaders from Russia, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to discuss regional tensions and avenues for dialogue.

The viral moment came amid an unusual diplomatic episode involving Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif was scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines of the forum but was reportedly kept waiting for around 40 minutes.

Must read: Shehbaz Sharif becomes meme material yet again, enters Putin’s meeting uninvited after 40-minute wait and leaves unnoticed | WATCH

An earlier video shared by RT India showed Sharif seated beside an empty chair, with members of his delegation present. The post was captioned, “Moment PM Sharif gate-crashed Putin’s meeting with Erdogan after waiting for 40 mins”.

According to reports, Sharif later entered the ongoing Putin-Erdogan meeting uninvited, stayed for roughly 10 minutes, and then left the venue alone.

Behind closed doors, Erdogan raised the Ukraine conflict during his discussions with Putin, urging consideration of limited ceasefire measures around key ports and energy infrastructure. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later said the leaders remained in close contact and had exchanged invitations for reciprocal visits.

While the forum focused on diplomacy and conflict resolution, it was Putin’s fleeting wink as he departed that captured the internet’s attention, briefly overshadowing the high-level discussions underway in Ashgabat.