Erdogan is very much alive. I’d saved the report below from earlier today. Holding his video meeting with Russia’s Putin.
https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/90072/
MOSCOW. April 27 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan at around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, with the two leaders then taking part in a ceremony to mark the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) via video link, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The president is now working in the Kremlin. He is holding non-public working meetings. The rest of the day will be split into two parts. The first part is international. We expect a phone conversation between Putin and Erdogan at around 3:00 p.m., after which Putin and President of Turkey Erdogan will jointly participate in a ceremony to mark the delivery of nuclear fuel to Unit 1 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant,” Peskov told reporters.
The presidents will take part in the ceremony by video link, he said.
Reporters then drew Peskov’s attention to media reports about the health problems being experienced by Erdogan, and asked him whether Russia is ready to offer medical aid to the Turkish president.
“We know nothing of these problems. We are getting ready for the phone call and substantive communication between the two presidents,” he said.
The communication did take place
In his virtual remarks at the ceremony, Erdogan emphasized the “big step” constituted by the first shipment of nuclear fuel from Moscow to Ankara so that Turkey can produce nuclear-generated energy within its own territory.
“Akkuyu is the biggest joint investment of Turkey and Russia, valued at $20 billion. It will cover 10 percent of our electricity needs. It’s a strategic investment,” said the Turkish leader.
Putin also emphasized in his telematic remarks that this is “one of the biggest projects in the shared history of Turkey and Russia” and promised to increase bilateral trade, in particular providing Turkey with natural gas.
The Turkish government has said that, after loading the fuel into the first reactor, it will launch a new phase of testing and that the first reactor will begin operating – and producing electricity for public consumption – sometime this year.
The remaining three reactors will be activated at the rate of one per year, after which the plant will have the potential to generate 4.8 megawatts of electricity.
You can find a short video clip here
Erdogan does look tired, but, other than that he looks about the same as he always does.
“We know nothing of these problems. We are getting ready for the phone call and substantive communication between the two presidents,” he said.
The communication did take place
Another view
From China
Turkiye’s election internal matter
“I’m not aware of the specifics you mentioned. Let me say that Türkiye is a friend of China. China always opposes interference in any country’s internal affairs. Türkiye’s elections are internal affairs and China won’t intervene or interfere in them,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told Anadolu during a press briefing in Beijing.
On the same day, Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun announced that the country rejected “baseless claims” about Erdogan’s health, after the fake news was propagated on social media.
“No amount of disinformation can dispute the fact that the Turkish people stand with their leader and @RTErdogan and his AK (Justice and Development) Party are set to win the May 14 elections,” Altun said on Twitter, while also sharing a screenshot of one of the posts shared by CGTN America.
My thought all along is AK will win, because, love him or hate him Turkey needs Erdogan’s leadership at this time-
In case you missed Mr Rubin’s oped?
OMG Michael Rubin from AEI -he’s always had a “hate on’ for Erdogan has this oped- and his hate is obvious
https://www.aei.org/op-eds/what-happens-if-turkeys-recep-tayyip-erdogan-dies/
2 replies on “Turkey, Erdogan Update”
this report gave me troubles galore
if it needs editing, I’ll do it tomorrow
long story short- Erdogan is alive- he had his video meeting with Putin and China is staying out of whatever election drama is occurring.
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