This is the state of health of (still) President Erdogan

Almost three weeks before the decisive presidential election in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is weakening – not only in the polls. He had to cancel performances for health reasons. There was even talk of a heart attack on the internet.

What’s behind these rumours?

Tuesday evening

After a long day of campaigning, Erdogan gives a long interview on the pro-government TV channel “Ülke TV” – or that was the original plan. However, for unknown reasons, the broadcast starts 90 minutes late. After only 10 minutes of conversation, the interview has to be interrupted. Why?

As the moderator reads out a longer question, Erdogan begins to gasp audibly. The camera remains focused on the questioner, one can only guess what the president looks like at that moment – the interviewer looks at him with concern. And finally, the employees outside the photo section hiss to place advertising. Erdogan’s voice can be heard briefly: “Oh wow, oh woe.” Then advertising flickers across the screen.

About 20 minutes later, the president reappears. He explains to the audience that he has an upset stomach and apologizes. The interview continues briefly until the show ends shortly after.

Erdogan then canceled all campaign dates for the following day via Twitter. He also thanks for all the recovery wishes he received because of his “slight discomfort”. He will (hopefully) be fit again from Thursday.

By the way, one of the first to wish him a speedy recovery was his competitor Kemal Kilicdaroglu. So far, opposition politician Erdogan has been ahead in election polls.

Thursday

But even on Thursday, Erdogan is not one hundred percent operational, it seems. He canceled two campaign dates in southern Turkey. He wants to participate via video call in the inauguration of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, which is scheduled for tonight (and should be the highlight of the election campaign).

According to Russian media, Erdoğan called Putin about Ukraine before the power plant was inaugurated. The state-affiliated Russian newspaper “RIA Novosti” published photos showing the Turkish president in a suit sitting at his desk and supposedly making this phone call. Erdogan doesn’t exactly look bad.

And according to the Turkish health minister, the president is “on the road to recovery”. Minister Fahrettin Koca said he had spoken with Erdogan on Thursday morning. “His health is extremely good.”

The government has strongly denied rumors that Erdogan had suffered a heart attack. The fact that the president was taken to hospital is also “unfounded disinformation”.

That he’s doing “extremely well” doesn’t seem to fit the picture, because you don’t take a two-day break in the middle of an election campaign when you’re doing “extremely well”.

The “Aargauerzeitung” also writes: “For a man his age, Erdogan’s health problems during the election campaign are nothing unusual. However, the fact that he is out of action for at least two days instead of just one as announced suggests that his illness could be more serious. than he originally thought.

It is not the first time that Erdogan has had medical problems. However, these were often exaggerated by his political opponents. In 2011, for example, the president had to undergo intestinal surgery. At the time, he denied that he had cancer. In 2017, he became sick during prayers in the mosque; he dismissed it as a blood sugar problem. And in 2021 he fell asleep talking.

In the latest incident, Middle East expert Stephen Cook of US think tank CFR advised Western governments to prepare for Erdogan’s early departure from office. In response, the Turkish government released a video showing Erdogan playing basketball. “Our president is in good shape,” said Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman for the presidential office. As is now known, Erdogan did not leave office prematurely at the time.

Once again, the government is trying to play down the president’s problems. Vice President Oktay said Erdogan had only a mild cold. Supporters of Erdogan in the media cheered that the public’s sympathy after Tuesday’s weakness shows how popular the president is with Turks. The government said on Twitter that Erdogan and his AKP party would win presidential and parliamentary elections in May.

Journalist Fatih Altayli of the online newspaper Habertürk reminded his readers that Erdogan had originally planned fewer appearances than in previous election campaigns in anticipation of a certain victory. However, the fact that he is now walking through the villages again, despite his already heavy workload as head of state, indicates that the government is less sure of its case than it openly admits.

(cpf, supplemented with material from the sda ​​and CH-Media articles)