World News | Turkey's Erdogan Cancels 3rd Day of Election Appearances
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his election appearances for a third day on Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.
Istanbul, Apr 29 (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his election appearances for a third day on Friday after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.
Erdogan, who has governed Turkey for two decades as prime minister and then president, is seeking a third presidential term in Turkey's May 14 elections.
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He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.
Erdogan spoke by phone Friday with UN Secretary-General Antonio on several matters, including the Ukraine-Russia grain and fertilizer deal they helped arrange, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
He said they discussed “how to guarantee the improvement, expansion and extension” of the deal, which expires May 18.
Erdogan became ill during a TV interview on Tuesday evening with what Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was a “gastrointestinal infection.” His election rallies planned for Wednesday and Thursday were cancelled.
He looked pale on Thursday as he inaugurated a nuclear power plant via video in his first public appearance since his illness. During his Friday video address, Erdogan seemed well as he spoke for about 10 minutes from behind a desk.
Other officials sought to dispel concerns over the 69-year-old leader's health ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections. Recent polls showed a slight lead for Erdogan's main challenger amid an economic downturn and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.
Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and as president since 2014. He campaigned hard in recent weeks, attending several events across the country every day. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)