Did Erdogan save this man from suicide?
Did Erdogan save this man from suicide?Screenshot from Twitter

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not often lauded for kindness or compassion, but on Friday he reportedly used his rhetorical skills to prevent a man from jumping off Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge.

According to the AFP news agency, the man was apparently preparing to jump to his death when Erdogan's motorcade was passing over the bridge linking Europe with Asia after Friday prayers.

News footage showed Erdogan's bodyguards bringing  the sobbing man, who appeared to be in his early 30s, to talk to the President through the window of his car. After a few moments, the man can be seen kissing Erdogan's hand.

The man was then escorted to safety, according to reports.

Whether or not the story was staged is anyone’s guess, but that was certainly the feeling among some Twitter users.

“Hope its [sic] true, but mostly staged,” tweeted one person in response to the Al Arabiya network’s report on the incident.

“lol probably staged but a good idea!” tweeted another person.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)