A photo circulating in Armenian media showing a Turkish user displaying the symbol of the “Grey Wolves” movement has been confirmed as not recent, according to Factor.am .
The image, originally shared on April 23, 2026, on X by a user named Ugur Guzel, shows him making the hand gesture associated with the ultranationalist group in Republic Square. However, the photo was actually taken in September 2025 during his visit to Armenia, where he created a vlog about Yerevan.
The user captioned the image, “Isn’t that the square?” and presents himself online as a political commentator and former deputy chair of Turkey’s Homeland party.
The photo gained widespread attention on April 24 after being reshared by Armenian user Alin Ozinian, whose post received over 68,000 views. Its circulation intensified further on April 26 across social media and Armenian-language platforms.
Separately, images from Citizen’s Day events held on April 26 were also misinterpreted. Some users claimed individuals in those photos were showing the Grey Wolves sign. However, closer examination indicates that the gesture in those cases corresponds to a symbol commonly used by rock and metal music fans.
Following a fact-checking article by Fip.am , another platform argued that the facts were selectively presented, again citing Guzel’s image and claiming it was taken on April 24.
In reality, while the image is authentic, it was not taken on April 24, and the confusion arose because it was reposted this year. Notably, the post was published late on April 23 (23:44), making it impossible for the photo to have been taken the following day.
The image also spread through Russian-language Telegram channels. One such channel claimed that a Turkish political figure had displayed the gesture in Yerevan on April 24, linking it to current political narratives.
Overall, fact-checkers conclude that the photo is real but dates back to September 2025, during the user’s visit to Armenia, and its recent circulation led to misinterpretation.
