Turkish President Erdogan’s live television interview was interrupted by an unexpected stomach bug, causing him to leave the set before returning to apologise. The 69-year-old leader had already delivered three campaign speeches earlier in the day, in preparation for the closely contested parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for May 14th.
During the joint interview on Ulke TV and Kanal 7, which began over 90 minutes behind schedule, the broadcast suddenly cut off mid-question, causing the camera to shake and the reporter to stand up from his chair. An off-camera voice could be heard saying, “Oh wow.”
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Around 15 minutes later, Erdogan returned to the interview, apologising for his sudden departure, stating that “Yesterday and today were hard work. That’s why I got a stomach flu.” The president appeared tired, and his eyes seemed to water as he spoke. After answering a few more questions, he ended the broadcast.
Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted party have held a dominant position in Turkish politics for two decades, but the upcoming election poses a significant challenge to his rule. Polls indicate that he is running neck-and-neck with opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu or could potentially lose the election. Kilicdaroglu expressed his well wishes towards Erdogan, tweeting shortly after the incident aired, “I convey my best wishes to Mr. Erdogan.”
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