Turkey backing intense R&D to find coronavirus vaccine

ANKARA

Alamy Photo

The Turkish government is providing support to institutes and researchers in the country working to find vaccines, the industry and technology minister said on March 17.

"We fund and coordinate the studies through TÜBİTAK [the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey]," Mustafa Varank said during an R&D meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"Our universities and research infrastructure started a more focused and intensive shift in the field of vaccine development and the fight against this virus since January," where coronavirus reached the world stage, he added.

Turkey currently has 98 confirmed cases of the virus, most of them contracted through foreign visits to the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and China.

Turkey reported its first death from the coronavirus on late March 17.