By Kubra Kara and Emrah Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey will send medical aid to Israel and Palestine to help them battle coronavirus, the country’s presidential spokesman said on Sunday.
“There was a demand for medical aid from Israel, and it will be completed within days. We will simultaneously send medical supplies to Palestine,” Ibrahim Kalin told CNN Turk.
Kalin said Armenia’s medicine demand was also approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and it was currently in process by the Health Ministry.
Ankara is helping multiple states to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. So far it has sent aid to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, as well as Libya, Italy, Spain, and the U.K, among others.
Turkey, Kalin said, has strong infrastructure in many areas including agriculture, healthcare services, communication, and security.
“I believe that we will overcome the recovery process very quickly. Turkey is in a good position in terms of medical supplies, cyber security, and food security,” he added.
The spokesman ruled out the possibility of any borrowing arrangement with the IMF — which is offering new loans to economies amid the pandemic fallout.
“In terms of contributing to the recovery of the global economy, the IMF, World Bank, G20 countries, international institutions and organizations, as well as individual countries, will of course fulfill their duties. However, Turkey does not seek an agreement with the IMF,” he said.
Turkey has confirmed a total of 1,101 fatalities from the virus that was first detected in China late last year. At least 52,167 have tested positive, according to official figures.
Overall, the disease has infected more than 1.78 million people in 185 countries and regions, as per the data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The death toll is nearing 110,000, while almost 410,000 have recovered.
* Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
