Turkish, Iranian leaders discuss fight against COVID-19

ANKARA- Anadolu Agency

The presidents of Turkey and Iran on April 22 discussed the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic in a phone call, according to an official statement.

Turkey's Directorate of Communications said Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani also exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments.

Erdoğan also spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte over the phone, on April 22.

Communications Directorate said in a statement that Erdoğan and Conte discussed cooperation in fighting COVID-19, bilateral relations and regional developments.

Erdoğan on April 22 also spoke with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev over the phone, said an official statement.

Erdoğan and Mirziyoyev exchanged views on issues ranging from the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic to bilateral relations and regional developments, according to the communications directorate.

The presidents also discussed the coronavirus pandemic with his Somali counterpart on April 22. 

Erdoğan and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo also exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments.

Farmajo thanked Erdoğan for Turkey's generosity and support of Somalia's fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"I thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey for the valuable phone conversation. I expressed my gratitude to @RTErdoğan on our nation's behalf for Turkey's generous support to the people of Somalia against #COVID19," he said in a brief statement on Twitter.

On April 17, a military cargo plane carrying medical supplies from Turkey landed in the capital Mogadishu. The supplies were handed over to the Somali Health Ministry.

The novel coronavirus has spread to 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December, with the U.S. and Europe being the hardest-hit areas in the world.

Meanwhile, defense ministers of Turkey and Britain discussed the cooperation in combatting the novel coronavirus on April 22. 

Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said in a statement that Hulusi Akar and his British counterpart Ben Wallace addressed “the importance of cooperation and solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, bilateral and regional developments and defense industry cooperation.”

The conversation came after a cargo plane carrying medical equipment from Turkey reached the U.K. early on April 22.