Is Erdogan's health behind no show at COP26 ?

The absence of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the global climate conference in Glasgow have ignited new speculations about the authoritarian leader's health.

As Erdogan cancelled plans to attend the global climate conference in Glasgow because Britain failed to meet Turkey's demands on security arrangements, there are also reports that Erdogan's no-show at COP26 resulted from health issues.

Turkey’s police cybercrime unit has opened an investigation into the increase in social media posts questioning Erdogan's health and capacity to continue in his current role.

According to AFP, the investigation will focus on posts by 30 people who tweeted the hashtag #olmus (#heisdead in Turkish).

A video spreading widely among Turkish social media users and circulating on Twitter appears to show Erdogan holding onto an aide’s shoulder while walking at the recent G20 Summit in Rome.

News outlets detailed several recorded incidents of Erdogan appearing to have problems negotiating stairs as well as struggle with garbled speech during an event, including stories alleging he has been dealing with increasing forgetfulness, bouts of breathing problems, confusion, vomiting, and the implantation of an internal defibrillator.

According to these same accounts, the president has increased the number of doctors around him, reduced encounters with the press, and is being pumped up with painkillers before public events.