A claim spread on social media, including pages that attributed it to the Reuters news agency, alleging that French President Emmanuel Macron left Damascus aboard a private plane bound for Turkey following explosions in the capital.
Reviewing Reuters' output and statements issued by the Elysee Palace, no report indicated that Macron had left Damascus. The Elysee clarified that the French president did not hear the blasts and that his official visit continued as scheduled, while a meeting was held between him and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Presidential Palace after the incident.
Why is this claim misleading?
False attribution to a trusted source: The story was attributed to Reuters without the agency publishing it, and its account contradicts official statements confirming that the visit continued.
