By Fahri Aksut and Havva Kara Aydin
ANKARA (AA) – Turkey has decided to temporarily close its border with Iran over the coronavirus outbreak, the health minister said on Sunday.
In a press conference, Fahrettin Koca said that due to the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, Turkey has temporarily halted all international arrival flights from Iran unilaterally as of 8 p.m. local time [1700GMT].
Due to the findings of the disease, at least eight Iranian citizens were not allowed to enter Turkey on Saturday and Friday, Koca noted.
He said five people, suspected with cold symptoms, tested negative in Turkey’s eastern Van province.
According to Iran's Health Ministry, the death toll from coronavirus in Iran has risen to eight, and over 40 cases were confirmed in Iran.
In China, the epicenter of the virus, the death toll from the outbreak has reached 2,444, with over 76,000 confirmed cases.
Following the global spread of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak an international health emergency.
