Erdogan 'in good health' after 2nd stomach operation
Surgery was follow- up procedure to November operation to remove polyps, after which Turkish leader dispelled cancer rumors
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in good health after undergoing another stomach operation in Istanbul, his aides confirmed Saturday following reports published by local media outlets.
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The Turkish newspaper Haberturk reported on its website that the surgery, which was conducted Friday at the Medipol Hospital, was a follow-up procedure to a November 26 stomach operation to remove polyps.
In an interview with Turkish television last month, the 58-year-old Turkish leader dispelled swelling rumors that he had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer and was secretly undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
“No, I don’t have cancer,” Erdogan told the Hurriyet Daily News.
"Doctors are still taking great care of me and telling me not to exhaust myself,” said the Turkish PM, who has been in office since 2003 and heads the Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Professor Mehmet Füzün, who was among the doctors who performed laparoscopic surgery on Erdoğan in November, also dismissed cancer claims last month, saying polyps found in the Turkish premier's intestinal tract are not malignant.
"I was also present during the surgery as an expert on colon and rectal surgery. The intestinal polyps we removed during the operation were indeed big, but not malignant," he said.
AFP, agencies contributed to the report
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