Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has joked that she would probably kill someone if she had to give up cigarettes.

 

The leader made the comment during a light-hearted exchange at the Gaza summit in Egypt after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has pledged to make Turkey smoke-free, challenged her over her smoking habit.

 

 

You look great. But I have to make you stop smoking,’ he told Ms Meloni, prompting laughter from Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron.

 

 

 

‘It’s impossible,’ the French president said.

 

 

 

I know, I know,’ Ms Meloni replied. ‘I don’t want to kill somebody.’

 

 

 

 

 

The 48-year-old recently revealed in a book that she had started smoking again after quitting 13 years ago, and joked that cigarettes had helped her bond with foreign leaders, including Tunisian president Kais Saied.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the same summit, US President Donald Trump described Meloni as a beautiful woman.

 

 

 

 

‘I’m not allowed to say it because usually it’s the end of your political career if you say it. She’s a beautiful young woman,’ he said.

 

 

 

‘Now if you use the word beautiful in the United States about a woman, that’s the end of your political career, but I’ll take my chances!’

 

 

 

 

 

Gesturing to her, he added: ‘Where is she? There she is. You don’t mind being called beautiful, right? Because you are.

 

 

 

‘She wanted to be here, and she’s incredible, and they really respect her in Italy. She’s a very successful politician.’