COVID-19: Turkey relies on 'robust healthcare system'

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s communications director said Friday the country relies on “its robust health care system and talented medics” to fight the deadly coronavirus that has claimed thousands of lives worldwide.

Turkey supplied testing kits to friends and allies and "no virus is more durable than the measures we take," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter and shared a video critical of European countries’ attitudes toward the elderly whose lives are at a higher risk because of the virus known as COVID-19.

"It saddens us to see many European countries take measures that fail to provide extra protection for their senior citizens," the video said. "While some EU countries have decided to take draconian measures others seem to be content on letting the pandemic run its course amongst the population."

Turkey took precautions and measures primarily aimed at protecting its elderly population, including granting older adults administrative leave, providing disinfectants and masks to those older than 65 and increasing minimum pension payment, according to the video.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 166 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of more than 272,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 11,000, and more than 87,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.

Turkey currently has 670 confirmed cases and death toll stands at nine.