Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul on Sunday he is in good condition after fainting during early morning prayers marking Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that ends the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
A Hurriyet reporter who was following Erdogan said he saw the president collapse at 6 am, before the start of prayers. “Bodyguards quickly ran to the scene and then the doctors came,” said Aziz Ozen.
“The president was taken to another part of the mosque on a stretcher. Reporters were not allowed near the mosque until Erdogan spoke to them after the prayers.”
Erdogan said in a briefing following prayers that he was feeling in good condition, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“I have a small condition about my blood pressure related to my diabetes,” Erdogan told reporters in front of the mosque. “Thank God I’m well now.”
Eid al-Fitr, which began Sunday, is a three-day holiday celebrated with prayers and feasting, ending a month in which Muslims fasted daily during daylight hours, from dawn to dusk.