Reporters quoted Erdogan on Thursday as saying, “You can see it when you look at Hitler’s Germany” as an example of an executive presidency. Following immediate backlash, Erdogan’s office issued a statement Friday claiming media outlets had distorted what he said, the New York Times reports. The statement released Friday claims Erdogan was citing Hitler’s Germany as an example of abuse of a presidential system. Critics are still skeptical of Erdogan’s comment because he is pushing for an executive presidency in Turkey, and he has become increasingly authoritarian.