Turkey's Erdogan Suffered Heart Attack? Ankara Says Such Reports 'Do Not Reflect The Truth'

Turkey's agency for combating misinformation, on Thursday, refuted reports that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ill amid country’s upcoming elections. 

What Happened: After local media reports said Erdogan had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized, Turkish Directorate of Communications denied all reports.  

"The claims shared on some social media accounts that ‘President Erdoğan had a heart attack and was hospitalized' do not reflect the truth," it said. 

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The AK Party Deputy Chair Erkan Kandemir told Turkey's pro-government, pro-Erdogan daily newspaper Daily Sabah that having already canceled Wednesday’s meetings, Erdogan has now also canceled his program for Thursday. He will attend the first fuel delivery for Akkuyu Nuclear Plant virtually from his office in Ankara.

Turkey Vice President Fuat Oktay also rejected claims that the president’s health condition was serious. “The president’s state of health is really good. We are constantly in touch with him," Oktay said, adding that "Erdogan will continue to carry out duties."

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Why It Matters: Erdogan, on Wednesday, said he would rest every day after contracting a stomach bug. He said because of this, all planned activities for the day were cancelled.

“I will take rest as per doctors’ advice. Vice President Fuat Oktay will attend my programs scheduled for today,” Erdogan said in a Twitter post.

Turkey’s presidential elections are due to be held on May 14, along with the parliamentary voting. Erdogan is confronted with the greatest challenge in his 20-year reign after the erosion of his popularity during a cost-of-living crisis. The Middle-Eastern nation is grappling with soaring inflation and is reeling from twin earthquakes that have left 50,000 people dead.

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