Erdogan, 69, is seeking his third term as president, after ruling the country, first as prime minister, since 2003.
Under current rules, enacted in 2018, presidents are directly elected and can serve only two consecutive five-year terms.
Erdogan experienced a health issue during a TV interview on Tuesday night, appearing to collapse. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later described the illness as a “gastrointestinal infection.”
The president’s scheduled events on Wednesday and Thursday, including election rallies, were quickly canceled.
On Thursday, a pale Erdogan appeared on video at the opening of a power plant, and officials attempted to calm worries about the 69-year old leader’s health ahead of the national election. Erdogan had intestinal surgery in 2011.
Polls give a small lead to Erdogan’s main challenger, which analysts say is due to an ailing economy and the February earthquake in which over 50,000 people perished.
