Erdogan is known for his love of campaigning and embracing political infighting.
turkey:
Turkey’s ailing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan re-emerged from a two-day absence on Thursday and spoke by video link with Vladimir Putin at a virtual ceremony unveiling a Russian-built nuclear power plant.
The 69-year-old leader halted all campaigning for Turkey’s May 14 election after falling ill during a live TV interview on Tuesday evening.
Erdogan said earlier in the week he had an upset stomach while stopping between five cities for rallies and public project launches.
Health Minister Fehrettin Koca said on Thursday that Erdogan had “infectious gastroenteritis” – a short-term illness caused by inflammation of the digestive tract.
But fear forced Erdogan to cancel the event on Wednesday and then stay home, instead traveling to the Mediterranean coast for the grand opening of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant on Thursday.
The video appearance represented Erdogan’s attempt to project health and strength in one of the more vulnerable moments of his two-decade rule.
But he looked weak and frail as he addressed Putin and the nation from behind the president’s desk.
“Our country has reached the league of nuclear-powered nations even after a delay of 60 years,” Erdogan said in prepared remarks.
‘misinformation’
Erdogan is known for his love of campaigning and embracing political infighting.
Polls suggest he is either running or losing a neck-and-neck against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Turkey’s most important election in decades.
His Islamist party’s control of parliament is also under threat through an alliance with a far-right group.
Erdogan has used his rallies to launch blistering attacks on the opposition and present himself as a man who gets things done.
That image has been shaken — and his office is fighting back.
The president’s powerful media director Fahrettin Altun posted screen shots on Twitter of Chinese state media and some popular accounts speculating Erdogan’s condition as more dire than officially reported.
“We categorically reject such baseless claims regarding the health of President Erdogan,” Altun wrote.
“No amount of disinformation can dispute the fact that the Turkish people stand by their leader and that Erdogan and his AK Party are set to win the May 14 elections.”
protected secret
Rumors have been circulating about Erdogan’s health since he underwent two gastrointestinal surgeries in 2011 and 2012.
The operation caused a slight hitch in his gait, which seems to have put some of the social media speculation to rest.
Turkey does not publicize the results of health evaluations of its leaders and it is illegal to “insult the president”.
Thousands of people have been prosecuted for the offense – which can be punished with a fine or up to four years in prison.
Turkey’s main opposition leaders quickly tweeted messages wishing Erdogan a speedy recovery.
Erdogan’s video linkup with Putin unveiled a project Russia began building in 2018 during a chill in Ankara’s relations with its Western allies
The construction of the Akkuyu plant was complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia by the West for its invasion of Ukraine.
“Yes, we have some logistical problems,” Sergei Butskikh, director of the Akkuyu plant, told reporters on the eve of the launch.
“The transportation routes are getting longer. Not all shipping companies are able to work with us. So here yes, we feel the restrictions,” he said.
“But this has not affected the build quality of the plant.”
Erdogan has been one of the few world leaders to maintain good relations with Putin by refusing to sign up to Western sanctions on Russia and trying to end the war.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)