A series of unexpected microphone failures at the United Nations has disrupted high-profile speeches by world leaders, including Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, during sensitive debates on Gaza and Palestinian statehood.
Leaders cut off mid-speech
On Tuesday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was abruptly silenced while outlining plans to send peacekeepers to Gaza. His microphone went dead mid-sentence, leaving interpreters scrambling before the audio returned seconds later.
Earlier the same day, President Erdogan of Türkiye encountered a similar glitch while condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and urging recognition of Palestine. Delegates heard the interpreter say: “Cannot hear the President, his voice is gone” before the problem was fixed.
The most dramatic failure came on Monday during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s landmark announcement recognizing the State of Palestine. His declaration was met with applause, but his microphone suddenly cut out moments later, sparking speculation over the timing of the malfunction.
UN staff blame technical issues
UN technical staff later clarified that the failures were caused by equipment problems in the General Assembly hall and insisted there was “no indication” of deliberate interference.
The glitches occurred as dozens of world leaders gathered for the high-level session, where Gaza and Palestinian statehood dominated the agenda.
Erdogan’s five-minute cutoff explained
During the International Conference on Finding a Solution to the Palestinian Issue and Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, Erdogan’s microphone was cut off exactly at the five-minute mark.
Before being silenced, Erdogan warned of a “great humanitarian disaster” in Gaza, where more than 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023. He denounced Israel’s attacks as genocide, stressing: “No one with a conscience can remain silent in the face of such massacre.”
Türkiye’s Communications Directorate later explained that the cutoff was automatic, not deliberate, due to UN rules limiting heads of state to five minutes. Erdogan’s speech, extended by applause, exceeded the allotted time. Officials clarified that Indonesia’s president experienced the same automatic cutoff under the same rules.
Symbolic timing amid growing support for Palestine
The timing of the glitches raised eyebrows, coming as a growing number of states, including France, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, and Canada, recognised Palestine as part of efforts to revive the two-state solution.
Leaders from Türkiye, Indonesia, and others demanded urgent international action to halt the genocide in Gaza, ensure humanitarian access, and deploy peacekeepers if necessary.
Despite the technical mishaps, the core messages resonated. As one delegate remarked after Carney’s remarks: “The recognition was heard loud and clear, even if the microphone was not.”
