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Turkey cracks down on speculation about Erdogan’s health

Rumors focusing on Erdogan’s hospitalization and death lead to announcement of investigation against 30 social media users, but online chatter continues.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference at the end of the Rome G20 Summit, on Oct. 31, 2021 in Rome, Italy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s health has been a major issue in Turkish politics. Now the focus of public conversations is shifting towards his death.

In the late hours of Nov 2, and into the early hours of Nov. 3, rumors of his death took over social media platforms. After canceling his visit to Glasgow, Erdogan’s daily public schedule was cleaned of all meetings. Although this was temporary, the screenshots of the website spread like wildfire on social media. Nov 3, 2002, is the day that AKP came to power, so each year the anniversary is commemorated with lavish receptions.

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