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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reappeared in a video after rumors that he is in a delicate state of health and ad portals of the presidential elections that will be held on May 9, where he will face the favorite in the polls, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Erdogan could lose power after 20 years.
In order to dispel doubts about his state of health, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reappeared in public through a video and inaugurated a nuclear power plant.
At the event, which marked the delivery of the first fuel to the Russian-built Akkuyu nuclear power plant in southern Turkey, he was seen pale, surrounded by members of his cabinet, aides and political allies.
In the video, Erdogan boasted that he was “proud to make the move that will place Turkey among the world’s nuclear-powered countries.”
Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for two decades, faces a presidential re-election on May 9, but has had to cancel all political rallies due to his illness.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the president had suffered a gastrointestinal infection that afflicted members of a live television message.
“I was with him this morning. His health is fine,” and he added, “The effect of his gastrointestinal infection has subsided. He will continue with his schedule ”.
Turkish officials denied rumors that Erdogan suffered a serious illness and was hospitalized. The president had already undergone intestinal surgery in 2011.
“We categorically reject such unsubstantiated claims about the president’s health,” said the director of communications, Fahrettin Altun, on his Twitter account, also categorically denying rumors that appeared on some social networks that attributed the president a myocardial infarction.
intense electoral campaign
The Turkish president is in a strong presidential campaign, facing off against center-left opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is backed by the Nation Alliance, a grouping of six political parties and which is leading in the polls.
Kilicdaroglu and other Alliance members have expressed their wishes for Erdogan’s speedy recovery.
The current president has been criticized for the way his government has managed, for the increasingly authoritarian management of the economy, galloping inflation, as well as for the earthquake that shook the country in February and left more than 50,000 dead.
elections abroad
This Thursday around 3.4 million Turkish citizens living abroad began to vote for the presidential and parliamentary elections.
In France there are about 400,000 Turks, while in Germany there are 1.5 million.
In Berlin, a voter who identified herself only as Fatma said: “Erdogan is strong. We are behind him.”
In the French town of Boulogne-Billancourt, Ozlem Dinc, 39, said: “We hope from the bottom of our hearts that he will come back to power and conquer the whole world.” In contrast, Sema Jude said: “We have to change the president first and then the system,” adding: “The presidential system in Turkey is not democratic and is like a dictatorship.”
Turks abroad tend to vote overwhelmingly for the ruling AKP party and for Erdogan.
If there is a second round, it would be on May 28.
