Erdogan's Mysterious Message: Turkish President Says UAE Counterpart Is 'Ill,' Then Deletes Post—MBZ Appears Healthy Hours Later

Planned diplomatic visit to Abu Dhabi abruptly postponed after Erdogan cites health concerns, but Emirati leader photographed smiling with Qatari emir

A planned diplomatic visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Abu Dhabi has been thrown into confusion after his office announced—and then swiftly deleted—a statement citing "health problems" experienced by Emirati leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the reason for postponement.

The message, posted Sunday on X by Erdogan's communications team, stated that the two leaders had spoken by phone and that Erdogan "expressed his sadness over the health problem experienced by President Al Nahyan and wished him a prompt recovery." The three-paragraph post added that Erdogan would travel to the UAE at a later date to be determined .

But within hours, the message vanished from Turkish presidential accounts. State broadcaster TRT likewise removed its article mentioning the Emirati leader's health concerns .

What the Emiratis Showed

The deletion raises questions—particularly because Al Nahyan's own team released photos Saturday evening showing the UAE president, known as MBZ, appearing in good health alongside Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar. The images, taken the same day, depict a smiling MBZ engaged in conversation, with no visible signs of illness .

The Emirati official news agency, WAM, reported on the telephone conversation between the two leaders but made no mention of any postponed visit or health issues. Turkish authorities have not explained why the original message was deleted, nor have Emirati officials commented on their president's condition .

A Familiar Pattern

Erdogan had announced plans last Wednesday to visit both the UAE and Ethiopia on Monday and Tuesday as part of Turkey's regional diplomatic strategy. The trips followed his October visits to Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman .

The conflicting signals—Ankara citing health concerns, Abu Dhabi showing business as usual—have created an unusual diplomatic moment. Neither the Turkish presidency nor Emirati authorities have answered AFP inquiries about the situation .

For now, the visit remains in diplomatic limbo, with Erdogan's team offering no explanation for the deleted message and MBZ's office projecting normalcy. Whether the postponement stems from genuine health concerns or other unstated reasons, the episode has introduced an unexpected note of uncertainty into Turkey-UAE relations.