:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/RVH3ZIWIPBZQU2KMIIC4X5SVLA.jpg)
Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan cancelled his scheduled campaign rallies on Wednesday and Thursday for health reasons, weeks before the May 14th presidential and parliamentary elections.
“Today, I will rest at home with the advice of my doctors,” Mr Erdogan wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday.
Turkish health minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday that the president was in good health and would continue with his daily scheduled programmes as soon as possible.
Late on Tuesday, Mr Erdogan cut short a live TV interview during which he said he felt sick with an upset stomach.
:quality(70):focal(3721x1170:3731x1180)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NSXPFCGA6ESMSH7TQ5OKD6WNXE.jpg)
:quality(70):focal(1195x412:1205x422)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/43ZIV252IFHIPG7WM4PLAYU67U.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KOLVF5TYKMRSVT3IK2MM5XT6TM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/5QD6ILX5UV53QH7M53XL4CTFDI.jpg)
“The infectious gastroenteritis he has experienced has lessened its effect,” Mr Koca said, speaking in the central Konya province
The elections represent the biggest electoral challenge for modern Turkey’s longest-serving leader, after a cost-of-living crisis eroded Mr Erdogan’s support.
Opinion polls show he could lose after two decades in power. – Reuters