The former chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal was admitted for treatment at Ankara University's İbn-i Sina Hospital.

79-year-old Baykal was taken to a private hospital after feeling unwell during the night and was referred to İbn-i Sina Hospital in Ankara after initial treatment.

Vice Rector of Ankara University Professor Bahaddin Güzel stated that Baykal was hospitalized after complaints about weakness on the left side of his body.

Doctors from brain surgery, neurology, radiology and anesthesia departments investigated the reason of the complaint, observing that one of the major veins of the brain was blocked, causing weakness in the patient's arms and legs.

Baykal continues to receive treatment in the intensive care unit.

"Brain functions are all in place. There is only a slight weakness in the left extremities, the arms and the legs," Dr. Güzel said. "The blockage was opened, so we expect it to improve. But we will only be able to give more information about possible paralysis after seeing the results of the treatment."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Ankara University Rector Professor Erkan İbiş early Monday to receive information on Baykal's treatment. Erdoğan later contacted Baykal's daughter, Professor Aslı Baykal Ataman, to receive the latest updates and wish for a speedy recovery.

Parliament Speaker İsmail Kahraman also wished a speedy recovery to Baykal, who briefly served as the parliament speaker after June and November 2015 elections as the oldest member of the parliament until speaker elections.

CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited the veteran politician at the hospital to receive information about his health.

Active in politics since late 1950s, Baykal has served as a lawmaker from his native Antalya province since 1973, with two interruptions between 1980 to 1987 and 1999 to 2002. He also led the CHP between 1992 and 2010, with a brief seven-month interruption in 1995 and a resignation after election fiasco in 1999 that lasted for 16 months before his return in 2000.

Baykal also served as deputy prime minister, foreign minister, energy and natural resources minister and finance minister in various cabinets CHP formed or joined as a coalition partner.