Turkish PM Erdoğan undergoes second surgery

Hurriyet.com.tr

Reuters photo

Turkish prime minister's office confirmed claims that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underwent a second surgery yesterday, Hürriyet reported.

Journalists had rushed to Medipol Hospital in Istanbul's Koşuyolu district after it was claimed that Erdoğan was hospitalized there for a routine check-up and a minor surgery.

Prime minister's office made an official statement today, saying Erdoğan had undergone a 30-minute long minor surgery that was a follow-up on the operation on his digestive system on Nov. 26, 2011.

Erdoğan's surgery and the cause for it was kept secret for some time, leading to rumors that the prime minister had intestine cancer.

Hürriyet Daily News columnist Mehmet Ali Birand had asked Erdoğan if he had cancer, during an interview on Jan. 19, to which Erdoğan replied, "No."