Turkey to supply US with ventilator part

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has approved sending a part that is used in the production of ventilators to the U.S. following a recent telephone conversation with his American counterpart Donald Trump, Milliyet newspaper has reported.

The issue came up during the phone talk, which took place on April 20, when Erdoğan and Trump discussed the latest developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump mentioned that U.S. car companies are producing ventilators, but they are lacking a part which is crucial for the manufacturing of those devises and he sought Turkey’s support to secure them.

Erdoğan, who was briefed by his aides, told his American counterpart that Turkey could send the requested part to the U.S. provided that Turkey has enough of those parts for its own use.

Speaking at the inauguration of a city hospital in Istanbul earlier this week, Erdoğan said that Turkey will produce 5,000 medical ventilators to fight the novel coronavirus by the end of May.

“Ford, General Motors and Tesla are being given the go ahead to make ventilators and other metal products, FAST! Go for it auto execs, lets see how good you are?” Trump wrote on Twitter on March 22.

The carmakers Trump mentioned in his tweet plan to manufacture as many as 100,000 units of ventilators by the end of June.

During the phone conversation between Erdoğan and Trump it was also agreed that Turkey will send a large volume of face masks, gowns and other protective materials.

U.S. companies are expected to procure those materials from Turkey, according to Milliyet.