Erdogan cancels the third day of appearing in the elections

ISTANBUL (AP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan canceled his election appearance for a third day Friday after falling ill. with what officials described as an intestinal infection.

Erdogan, who has ruled Türkiye for two decades As prime minister and then president, he is seeking a third presidential term in Turkey’s May 14 elections. He was scheduled to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed to show that he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Erdogan spoke by phone on Friday with UN Secretary-General Antonio on several issues, including the Ukraine-Russian grain and fertilizer deal they helped arrange. He said they discussed “how to ensure improvement, expansion and extension” of the deal, which expires on May 18.

Erdogan fell ill during a television interview on Tuesday night with what Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later described as a “gastrointestinal infection.” Election rallies that were scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday have been cancelled.

He looked pale Thursday as he opened a nuclear power plant via video link, his first public appearance since his illness. During his video address on Friday, Erdoğan sounded so good he spoke for 10 minutes from behind a desk.

Other officials sought to dispel concerns about the 69-year-old leader’s health ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections. Recent polls show a slight lead for Erdogan’s main rival Amid an economic downturn and an earthquake in February that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan, who underwent bowel surgery in 2011, has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and president since 2014. He has campaigned vigorously in recent weeks, attending numerous events across the country every day.