Turkey in last days of pandemic, says minister

ANKARA

Turkey is witnessing the last days of the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said.

Speaking at a press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Teymur Musayev, in the capital Ankara on May 17, Koca said, “We had a big battle against the pandemic acting in unison, and with this solidarity, I hope we will see it end.”

The minister also remarked on the success of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, Turkovac.

“We have justified pride of being a country that produces its own vaccine,” Koca said and thanked Baku for their cooperation in having the Phase-3 trial of Turkovac in Azerbaijan.

On March 9, Turkish and Azerbaijani health officials signed a deal to conduct the Phase-3 trials of Turkovac in Baku. The work has been Turkey’s first clinical research in a foreign country.

Musayev, who paid his first official visit abroad to Ankara, thanked Turkey for its support amid the pandemic. “We will never forget the brotherly support amid those severe days,” the Azerbaijani minister said.

After an hour of meeting, the two ministers signed a protocol on cooperation between the two countries’ health ministries and decided to establish a joint study group to actualize the action plan of the protocol.