Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday interrupted a live television interview before returning and apologising, saying he had developed a stomach bug.
The 69-year-old Turkish leader on Tuesday gave three campaign speeches heading into a knife-edge parliamentary and presidential election on May 14.
He was due to close out the night by appearing live for a joint interview with Ulke TV and Kanal 7.
However, his television appearance began more than 90 minutes behind schedule and then cut off in the middle of a question ten minutes into the show.
The camera shook and the reporter asking the question stood up from his chair when the broadcast cut off.
“Oh wow,” an unidentified voice could be heard saying off camera.
Erdogan returned about 15 minutes later to apologise for getting sick.
During a live broadcast on Ülke TV, Turkish President Erdogan's condition was reported to have worsened, resulting in the interruption of the broadcast.
However, Erdogan soon returned, explaining that he had caught a cold and was feeling fatigued due to the ongoing election… pic.twitter.com/DPWoHM025Q
— 301 Military (@301military) April 25, 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered an unexpected health issue Tuesday evening during a live television interview t.co/qKNxzxLfVJ
— Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) April 26, 2023