Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared on Saturday for the first time in three days. He canceled a television interview due to illness earlier this week – something that has caused the outside world to speculate whether the 69-year-old may be seriously ill.
– It is crucially important that he is seen now, everything depends on him, says Michael Sahlin, former ambassador to Turkey.
It was difficult to notice any weakness after the illness – which according to the party staff was a stomach bug – when President Erdogan addressed the masses in Izmir.
– In good old style, he thunders against the opposition. So it seems as if he is full speed ahead, says Sahlin.
Around the world, there has been speculation of both cancer and heart problems, and of the Turkish president looking unusually pale, after he had to interrupt a live interview:
There are elections in Turkey on May 14 and Erdogan hopes to have his mandate extended. He has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as Prime Minister and since 2014 as President. There is currently no natural successor to Erdogan in the AKP party.
The opponent in this year’s election will be 74-year-old Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the opposition party, the social democratic CHP.