No, Turkish President Erdogan has not been hospitalized in a very serious condition

Context

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking re-election on May 14, 2023, paused a live interview with Turkey’s Ulke TV and Kanal 7 for about 20 minutes on the evening of April 25, 2023. Later, Erdogan informed the public that he was suffering from a bad stomach flu. The next day, he announced via Twitter that his doctors had advised him to rest and that he would not be participating in the campaign as planned. He also noted that he hoped to continue his programs as scheduled from Thursday, April 27.

Amid reports of the TV interview being interrupted and some of his election campaigns being canceled or rescheduled, rumors spread on social media platforms. One of the posts on Twitter posted by the user Terror Alarm claimed that President Erdogan was poisoned following a meeting with a Russian official. Some pro-Russian Twitter accounts reshared this post and tried to shift the blame to the U.S. government. 

Other narratives claimed that the Turkish President suffered a massive cardiac arrest and that he was hospitalized. However, there is no basis for such claims, and the Turkish authorities have not communicated officially about Erdogan being hospitalized with a serious medical condition. 

In Fact

We did not find credible news reports or official updates about President Erdogan suffering a cardiac arrest or being poisoned. The websites that propagated these rumors have not cited any credible reports or communication from the Turkish government. 

President Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party’s spokesperson Omer Celik tweeted that foreign media are spreading fake news about the president’s health. He also noted that the president is recovering and would soon resume his regular duties. 

Similarly, Turkey’s Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, tweeted screenshots of various false narratives about President Erdogan’s health and categorically denied such information. He also updated that the president would virtually attend the opening ceremony of the nuclear plant on April 27. 

The Turkish President’s website has put out a live link that some select media outlets can access to view the nuclear fuel delivery ceremony at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey. The live feed of the ceremony will be from the Presidential palace, with President Erdogan in attendance. 

The Akkuyu nuclear power plant was built by Russia’s State nuclear energy company Rosatom in Southern Turkey after signing an agreement with the Turkish Government. Previously, there were speculations that Russian President Vladimir Putin would fly in to attend the inauguration of this plant. However, Kremlin sources have confirmed that Putin will attend the event virtually. Latest reports from Turkey indicate that Erdogan and Putin will have a telephone conversation just before the inauguration ceremony. 

The Verdict

Turkish President Erdogan canceled some appearances at election rallies on April 26, 2023. This led to several people claiming that he suffered a cardiac arrest or had been poisoned following a meeting with a Russian official. However, these arguments have been disputed by members of President Erdogan’s inner circle, and he will virtually attend an event on April 27, 2023. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.