In this handout photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurates Turkey's first nuclear power plant via a video link, at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (Turkish Presidency via AP)
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday virtually attended an event with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin amid concerns over his health.
This was Erdogan’s first public appearance since falling ill on live TV and canceling campaign stops, as he sought to dispel concerns about his health weeks before a crucial election.
In a video of the ceremony posted by Russian state media, Erdogan and Putin can be seen waving at each other.
Putin and Erdogan participated via video link in a ceremony marking the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to the nuclear power plant ‘Akuyu’ in Turkey.
Wave if you have cheaper energy than the EU!
Presidents Putin and Erdogan greet each other online at the beginning of the Akkuyu NPP ceremony pic.twitter.com/WhThUOPL5T
— RT (@RT_com) April 27, 2023
The 69-year-old leader looked pale sitting behind a desk surrounded by Cabinet members, aides and political allies to preside at the event marking the delivery of the first fuel to the Russian-built Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in southern Turkey.
Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for two decades, canceled election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday after suffering what the health minister described as a gastrointestinal infection.
Turkish officials denied online rumors that Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, had suffered a serious illness and was hospitalised. “We categorically reject such baseless claims regarding President (Erdogan’s) health,” his communications director, Fahrettin Altun tweeted.
With inputs from agencies
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