Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan returned to the campaign trail on Saturday after falling sick during a live TV broadcast Tuesday night.
Erdoğan had cancelled public appearances for three days, after coming down with what Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was gastroenteritis.
But on Saturday, the Turkish president appeared at an Istanbul aviation festival, flanked by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, AFP reported.
The president spoke for almost 40 minutes, in a strong voice, mocking the opposition, raising the spectre of “terrorism”, and saying only he could deliver growth for Turkey. It was a combative performance which will have reassured his supporters and may have worried his detractors.
His illness came at an unfortunate time for Erdoğan, who’s facing a tough battle for re-election when Turkey heads to the polls on May 14.
Erdoğan, who has been in power since 2003 as prime minister and president, is polling neck-and-neck with opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls.
Photo: A campaign poster with a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is attached to the facade of a building seen behind Erdogan’s party flags in Istanbul, Turkey. EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA
