Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took a photo in Turkey that has earned more likes than anything else he has posted to Instagram.
Musk posted a shot of himself at the memorial of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first president of modern Turkey and a champion of secularism and modernization. The post has nearly 1 million likes.
Friday was the 70th anniversary of Ataturk’s passing.
Musk also tweeted out quote of Ataturk’s demonstrating his reverence for science.
Earlier in his visit to Turkey, Musk was photographed shaking hands with Turkey’s current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two reportedly discussed plans on how Turkish firms could collaborate with SpaceX and Tesla.
Critics say Erdogan has sought to undo aspects of Ataturk’s legacy, for example, by emphasizing Turkey’s Islamic character and its history as the center of the Ottoman empire.
Critics have also said Erdogan is an authoritarian leader with a worrying track record. Since a failed coup attempt in 2016, more than 30,000 people have been jailed and more than 100,000 soldiers, judges, teachers and civil servants have been dismissed or suspended.
Source: Tech CNBC
Elon Musk's most-liked Instagram post highlights Turkey's turbulent politics