Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has halted election campaigning after becoming ill during a live TV interview that was abruptly cut short.
He took a 20-minute break and then came back, claiming to have “serious stomach flu” following two days of vigorous campaigning.
The election campaign for Mr. Erdogan, 69, is his most challenging to date.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the principal figure in the opposition, has been selected to represent a coalition of six political groups.
He joined other opposition figures in wishing the president a quick recovery.
According to recent polls, the contest between the two candidates is close, and Mr. Kilicdaroglu has a good chance of winning the elections on May 14 with a potential presidential run-off two weeks later.
According to recent polls, the contest between the two candidates is close, and Mr. Kilicdaroglu has a decent chance of winning the elections on May 14—with a possible presidential run-off two weeks later.
On Wednesday, President Erdogan initially canceled three events in central Anatolia, claiming doctors had urged him to stay at home.
The launching of Turkey’s first nuclear power station at Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast was among the Thursday activities he then postponed. The construction of Akkuyu’s four nuclear reactors, which are largely owned by the Russian company Rosatom, took several years, and its opening was scheduled to coincide with the election.
Vladimir Putin of Russia and Mr. Erdogan will both watch the inauguration electronically.
Several journalists were seated around President Erdogan when he fell ill during the live broadcast on Tuesday evening on pro-government channels Ulke TV and Kanal 7.
After one of the interviewers asked a question, the camera showed the journalist looking increasingly alarmed before the screen went blank.