Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is suffering from a stomach bug after falling ill on live TV in the midst of his presidential campaign.
Erdogan's illness is bad timing, as Turks are set to head to the polls in May. Erdoğan was being interviewed on Tuesday by the Turkish channels Kanal 7 and Ulke TV when he fainted. After collapsing, he cut the interview short after he felt ill with an upset stomach.
Erdoğan’s illness has also forced him to cancel various electoral rallies, including the opening of the country’s new power plant in the city of Mersin on Thursday. He told his supporters on Twitter that “I will rest at home on the advice of my doctors."
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The Turkish president may feel that this has come at the worst moment as he seems to be fighting for his future as the head of the country if recent polls are to be believed.
Indeed, Erdoğan’s 20 years in power, nine of which have been as president, may soon come to an end with his centre-left opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu currently ahead of him in multiple polls for the election’s second round at the end of May.
His decreasing popularity has been attributed to multiple factors, including the ongoing economic crisis that has beset the Turkish lira, as well as his government's response to the recent earthquakes that struck the country.
