Braverman ridiculed for claim about Italy-Türkiye land border

Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has come under fire after erroneously claiming to have visited a “land border” between Italy and Türkiye.

The statement, made during a guest appearance on LBC radio, quickly drew criticism and mockery across social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter.

Discussing border control measures to curb migration, Braverman stated, “Italy have reinforced their borders. They built a wall. I went to see that wall. They built a wall on the land border between Italy and Türkiye.”

Here she is @SuellaBraverman talking about:

The wall "on the land border between Italy and Turkey."

She's "seen it" apparently… meanwhile absolute scenes on @lbc pic.twitter.com/djwzm47awO

— Otto English (@Otto_English) January 2, 2025

The comment sparked widespread confusion, as Italy and Türkiye are separated by more than 800 miles and do not share a land border. Social media users, authors, and commentators were quick to respond.

Author Otto English mocked the statement by sharing a cartoon gif and writing, “Suella Braverman has just told LBC listeners that not only has Italy built a wall on ‘its border with Türkiye’ but that she has been there ‘and seen it.’ What a loss to politics.”

Braverman later clarified her remarks in a post on X, stating, “And, obviously, I meant Greece’s land border with Türkiye, which I was honored to visit. It’s been very successful!”

However, the clarification did little to quell the backlash, with critics questioning how such a mistake could be made by someone who served as Home Secretary.

The comments come as Braverman remains a divisive figure following her dismissal from the Cabinet in November 2023.

She was sacked by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after being accused of inciting clashes between police and far-right protesters during Remembrance Day events at the Cenotaph.

Her latest misstep adds to a series of controversies that have defined her political career.

Social media users likened the incident to a moment from The Thick of It, a political satire television series, while others joked that Braverman might need a refresher course in geography.