Turkey's Erdogan cancels election rallies for health reasons
[1/3] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters during an election rally in Manisa, Turkey April 24, 2023. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS
ANKARA, April 26 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan canceled his scheduled campaign rallies on Wednesday and Thursday for health reasons, weeks before May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections.
"Today, I will rest at home with the advice of my doctors," Erdogan wrote on his Twitter account on Wednesday.
Later, AK Party deputy chair Erkan Kandemir said Erdogan would attend a ceremony at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in the southern Mersin province via videolink on Thursday.
"Our Mersin rally is also planned to be held on a future date," he posted on Twitter.
Late on Tuesday, Erdogan cut short a live TV interview during which he said he felt sick with an upset stomach.
The elections represent the biggest electoral challenge for modern Turkey's longest-serving leader, after a cost-of-living crisis eroded Erdogan's support. Opinion polls show Erdogan could lose after two decades in power.
Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Jonathan Spicer
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Source: Reuters
