If measures abided by, outbreak will end soon: Erdoğan

ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 10 voiced hope for the end of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, saying after the pandemic ends, Turkey will “continue its way with a bigger leap.”

“We may be causing trouble, but if we tolerate these, we will be rid of the coronavirus problem in a short period of time. I am going through the same thing as you. If we abide by the measures we have taken, we will be able to be through with this in comparison to the other countries,” Erdoğan said.

“I convey my apologies if we are causing any trouble,” he added.

The president’s remarks came during a ceremony for the opening of a metro line in the metropolis Istanbul, connecting Gayrettepe, Kağıthane and the Istanbul airport – all on the European side of the city.

“We will hopefully get rid of this coronavirus trouble,” he underlined.

Erdoğan also said that Turkey attaches a great deal of importance to health tourism. He added that the hospitals, currently under construction, at Atatürk Airport and in Sancaktepe will help with the health tourism.

“Those arriving from abroad will come here with planes and air ambulances and will get treated here,” he said.

“This is a new initiative for us. Here, Turkey will undertake the duty of being a health base,” he added.

Erdoğan on May 9 visited the construction sites of field hospitals that are being built in Istanbul as part of the government’s efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

One of the hospitals for COVID-19 patients is being set up on the site of Atatürk Airport on the European side of the city and the other in the Sancaktepe district of the city on the Asian side.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca briefed Erdoğan at the sites on the progress of the construction work.

The president unveiled the plan for field hospitals with a capacity of 1,000 beds each in early April.

“We will complete them quickly within 45 days and open them to the service of our people,” Erdoğan said in a speech he delivered on April 6.

Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has announced that a Turkish pharmaceutical company has produced a drug to be used in the treatment of the COVID-19 disease and permission has been granted to the company to sell the medication.

“A sales permission has been granted to the drug for which the Health Ministry’s Medical Equipment and Drugs Institution gave a high priority for its registration,” Altun wrote on Twitter on May 9.

Cem Koçak, the general manager of Turkish firm Koçak Farma, told state-run Anadolu Agency on May 9 that the company has developed a generic drug containing hydroxychloroquine sulfate which is being used to treat COVID-19 patients.

He added that the company obtained a permit from the authorities to sell the medication.