Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left an Istanbul clinic late Sunday after undergoing a second round of surgery on his intestines, his doctors said.

Erdogan, 57, is due to take several days of rest at his Istanbul residence before resuming his official duties and returning to Ankara, they said.

The prime minister underwent a 30-minute operation on Friday which his office said was the "the second and final part" of surgery on his intestinal system first begun on November 26.

It said Friday's operation had been scheduled from the start and that it now "brought an end to the treatment".

Erdogan had a long period of convalescence after his first operation, leading many Turks to speculate on his state of health.

In an interview last month, Erdogan said the surgeons had taken out polyps from his intestines but there had been no trace of cancer.

Erdogan heads up the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been in government since 2002.