Pages and accounts on social media circulated a claim that the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, had criticised French President Emmanuel Macron and expressed dissatisfaction with how he was received during his visit to Paris, alleging that he arrived by taxi or in a vehicle designated for tourists.
Keyword searches, a review of official websites and accounts, and a trace of the statements and interviews attributed to Abdi found no recording, interview or published statement containing these allegations, nor any indication that he criticised the French president or objected to how he was received in Paris. No credible source published remarks claiming he spoke about arriving by taxi or in a tourist vehicle. The search showed that Abdi's visit to Paris took place within the framework of meetings with French officials and addressed political files relating to Syria, with no official statements from him about the reception arrangements or his movements in the French capital.
Why is this claim misleading?
Fabricated content: There is no documented evidence supporting the statements attributed to Mazloum Abdi about criticising his reception, and digital tracing produced no official statement from him on the matter.
