Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has announced that she has quit smoking, eight months after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan encouraged her to give up the habit during a meeting in Egypt.
Meloni had long been known for her struggle to quit smoking. In previous interviews, she said she had stopped smoking for 13 years before eventually taking up the habit again.
She also once told an Italian newspaper that being forced to quit would be extremely difficult, describing the prospect as "almost impossible."
The Italian leader revealed she had given up smoking during an informal conversation among world leaders at the G-7 summit hosted by France on Tuesday.
As European leaders chatted on the sidelines of the gathering, Meloni remarked that she needed a coffee to help her stay alert.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz then jokingly referenced cigarettes, prompting Meloni to respond, "I stopped."
She added that she had stopped smoking last month, drawing smiles from those around her.
Erdoğan is known for his strong anti-smoking stance and has frequently urged both citizens and public figures to quit smoking.
Known for his staunch anti-smoking stance, Erdoğan has often encouraged smokers to quit and publicly collected cigarette packs from those who pledged to give up the habit. More than 200 of the surrendered packs were later exhibited at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.
