Turkey to contribute to EU initiative to fund vaccine studies: Spokesperson

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will attend a videoconference meeting of the EU this week about a fundraising campaign on supporting vaccine studies against the COVID-19 pandemic, Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın said on May 2.

“Next week, a study will be carried out on the creation of a common vaccination fund led by the EU, with the participation of our president. We will contribute as well,” he said, speaking to the TV 24 broadcaster.

The EU and several other international actors have stepped up for securing financial support for a medical response against the ongoing pandemic. The EU will host an online conference on May 4 for governments and organizations to pledge money to support the search for a vaccine to the novel coronavirus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week.

“To support this global initiative, funding is needed,” von der Leyen told a joint news conference with European Council President Charles Michel. “I hope that countries and organizations all over the world will respond to this call,” she said.

The online conference aims to collect at least 7.5 billion euros (6.6 billion British pounds) in funding to support the global response to the coronavirus outbreak.

“The most important aspect of this period is to issue our priorities. The international order will undergo radical changes in many areas. We know that the legitimacy of international institutions and organizations is being questioned,” Kalın said.

“The EU is under serious criticism for its responses to this outbreak. How effective the World Health Organization was [WHO] in this process, this is one of the issues questioned. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation [OIC] is questioned in the same way because a sufficiently strong leadership has not been put forward,” he noted.

The major economies bigger than Turkey has suffered, he said and added: “On this occasion, we have shown what can be done by using the facilities we have in the best way,” Kalın stated.