A series of microphone failures at the United Nations has disrupted high-profile speeches by world leaders, including Türkiye’s president, Canada’s prime minister, and Indonesia’s president, drawing attention during a sensitive debate on the Gaza genocide and Palestinian statehood.
On Tuesday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was cut off mid-speech as he discussed plans to send peacekeepers to Gaza.
His microphone went silent, leaving the interpreter struggling to continue.
The audio feed resumed after several seconds, but the interruption came at a critical moment.
Hours earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced a similar glitch while addressing the assembly.
As he denounced Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and called for urgent recognition of Palestinian statehood, the interpreter was heard saying: "Cannot hear the President, his voice is gone."
The disruption was quickly fixed, but not before creating confusion in the hall.
The most dramatic failure occurred on Monday when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his country’s official recognition of the State of Palestine.
"In this context, Canada recognises the state of Palestine," he declared, drawing applause from delegates.
Moments later, his microphone abruptly cut out.
Despite the cheers, the sudden loss of audio prompted speculation among some observers about the timing of the malfunction.
UN technical staff later said the failures were due to equipment problems in the General Assembly hall, which has hosted dozens of leaders this week amid the high-level session.
Officials stressed that there was "no indication" of deliberate interference.
Symbolic timing
The glitches came as Palestine and Gaza dominated this year’s agenda.
A growing number of states — including France, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg and Canada — have recognised Palestine, framing it as a step toward reviving a two-state solution.
At the same time, leaders from Türkiye, Indonesia, and others have demanded urgent international action to halt the genocide in Gaza, ensure humanitarian access, and deploy peacekeepers if necessary.
Erdogan warned that Israel’s actions amounted to genocide, while Prabowo said Indonesia stood ready to contribute troops to a UN mission if agreed.
Despite the audio failures, the messages cut through.
As one delegate noted after Carney’s remarks: "The recognition was heard loud and clear, even if the microphone was not."
