Turkey's Erdogan appears in public for first time in three days

President had been lying low since falling ill during a live television appearance on Tuesday night

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan throws carnations as he greets people at Teknofest airshow in Istanbul, Turkey April 29, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

The President announced that Turkey's first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year. Reuters

Mr Erdogan said an air force pilot was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is an aviation systems engineer at Turkish defence contractor Roketsan. Reuters

Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 14. Reuters

While campaigning for re-election, Mr Erdogan has unveiled a number of prestigious projects, such as Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and the delivery of natural gas from Black Sea reserves. AFP

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday appeared in public for the first time in three days after a stomach infection kept him off the campaign trail before key polls.

Smiling and dressed in a red windbreaker, the 69-year-old leader walked out on to the stage of an Istanbul aviation festival and began to toss out flowers to flag-waving supporters.

He arrived with his close ally, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah.

Both countries have fought wars using Turkey's combat drones, which will feature prominently at the weekend aviation event.

Mr Erdogan had been lying low since getting sick live on television on Tuesday night.

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the president was suffering from gastroenteritis. The digestive problem is easily treated and usually clears up in a few days.

But it has disrupted Mr Erdogan's attempts to seize momentum in the run-up to Turkey's most important election in generations on May 14.

Mr Erdogan looked healthy, addressing the crowd with a microphone in his hand, describing government efforts to help the victims of a massive February earthquake that claimed more than 50,000 lives.