Turkey's Erdogan cancels more meetings over stomach bug
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00:00 It may be his toughest election since 20 years at the helm of Turkish politics, but President
00:06 Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced he'd be cancelling his appearance at planned campaign events
00:11 after interrupting a television interview due to stomach issues, though he returned
00:15 to the screen 20 minutes later to apologise.
00:18 "I had a serious stomach flu. For a while I wondered if it would be misunderstood. If
00:24 we cancelled the programme, we come across sad situations from time to time in our busy
00:28 working hours and I ask you and our audience to forgive me."
00:34 The cancellation meant Erdogan's vice president appeared in his place in rallies across three
00:38 cities on Wednesday.
00:40 With less than three weeks to go till the election, health issues aren't the only thing
00:44 plaguing the Turkish president, as opinion polls show his main challenger, Kemal Kalit
00:49 Doroglu, with a slight lead.
00:52 The heavy death toll of the February earthquake is also weighing on the campaign. With nearly
00:57 60,000 dead, thousands displaced and criticism about his handling of the response.
01:03 "We don't really know what happened at the end with their identity cards. A lot of people
01:09 have still disappeared. We hear that they don't know really how many people died at
01:16 the end and for sure this is a matter of concern, something where we'll look into it very specifically."
01:24 Erdogan has previously undergone gastrointestinal surgery and his party dispel rumours surrounding
01:30 his health, claiming he'll swiftly return to the campaign.