President Erdogan Claims Can Negotiate With Elon Musk To Get Free Twitter Blue Ticks

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he may negotiate with Twitter's new boss, Elon Musk, to avoid paying the $8 monthly fee for a "verified" badge.

After buying Twitter for $44 billion last week, Musk said the company would charge $8 a month for its Blue service, which includes the blue tick that many are looking for.

In an interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV on Wednesday, November 2, Erdogan said he could talk to Musk and discuss the proposal.

"It might be different for us," Erdogan said, when asked about the new fee for blue checks on Twitter. "We can also do diplomacy with him," he added jokingly.

A blue tick next to a person's username on the social media platform means Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it. Twitter is currently free for most users who have a blue tick.

More than 80% of Twitter users who took part in a recent poll said they would not pay for the tick. About 10% said they were willing to pay $5 per month.

Musk said Tuesday, November 1 that subscribers with a blue tick will get priority in replies, mentions, and searches and will be able to post longer videos and audio. They will see half as many ads.

He also offers customers a bypass paywall from "publishers willing to work with us."