Erdogan to virtually attend Akkuyu nuclear fuel loading ceremony

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Apr 2023 23:55
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not be attending the nuclear fuel loading ceremony at Attakuyu NPP in person but online after disclosing having the stomach flu.

Turkish President and People's Alliance's presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a speech during an election rally campaign in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, April 21, 2023 (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to virtually attend the online nuclear fuel loading ceremony at Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Wednesday, April 27, according to Erkan Kandemir, Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

Kandemir asserted that "the president will take part in the ceremony at the Akkuyu NPP online," according to IHA news agency, adding that the Thursday rally which was planned in Mersin as a show of support for Erdogan will be rescheduled to a later date.

On Tuesday, Erdogan's interview on local TV channels was discontinued after the president felt unwell during the live stream.

While the incident sparked grave concern across social media platforms, the president, in a live statement, confirmed that he had caught the stomach flu. The presidential spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, also reaffirmed at a later time that Erdogan was indeed in good health.

Opposition may get Turkey in Ukraine war if it wins: Official

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, on April 19, that the Turkish opposition may drag the country into the Ukraine war if it wins the 2023 Turkish parliamentary elections, given its desire to "pick a certain side and tip the balance."

On his visit to the Turkish city of Manavgat, Gavusoglu said, "We are currently pursuing a well-balanced policy [in relation to the situation in Ukraine] ... What's in it for us to support a certain side and become a party to the conflict? And those who say 'we should pick a certain side and tip the balance,' will draw our country into the war, if they come to power."

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Turkish diplomat stressed that Turkey is not "a pawn in the games of other countries, but an autonomous country that makes its own rules."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured in late March that "the current government in Ankara will not allow the West to drag the country into a war against Russia."

At the time, Kilicdaroglu's foreign policy advisor, Unal Cevikoz, said as quoted by Sputnik that "the Turkish opposition is convinced that it will be able to preserve positive and balanced relations with Russia if its presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu wins."

This comes as the Turkish elections are anticipated to be the most polarized this year, determining the fate of 85 million citizens, and are supposed to be a litmus test for Erdogan's job performance. This will mark the second election since Turkey switched from a parliamentary to a presidential system following a 2017 referendum that granted him broad new powers.