“The dissemination of false statements attributed to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been observed across Turkish social media platforms. Attributing statements to the head of state that he never made and presenting them as his official position constitutes a serious form of disinformation aimed at misleading the public,” the Media and Broadcasting Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan said in a statement.

The Council reiterated that the primary official sources of information about the President’s speeches, statements, and activities are his official website and social media accounts. When preparing and disseminating information on these matters, media outlets must rely on these sources and must not attribute statements or views published elsewhere to the head of state without confirmation from official channels.

The Media and Broadcasting Council urged media outlets and social media users to verify information responsibly, cross-check content against official sources before sharing it, and prevent the spread of disinformation.