Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has canceled several upcoming election rallies after falling ill during a live television interview on Tuesday. The broadcast was abruptly cut off, and when it resumed 20 minutes later, Erdogan explained that he had developed a serious stomach flu while campaigning and apologized for the interruption.

Although Turkish officials denied rumors that Erdogan had been hospitalized, the president appeared pale during a video inauguration of a nuclear power plant on Thursday. Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, is seeking a third term as president and has been campaigning hard as he faces a tough challenge from center-left opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the May 14 election.

Critics have accused Erdogan of increasingly authoritarian rule and mismanaging the economy and inflation in recent years, as well as the handling of the earthquake.