Turkey provides $11M aid for Northern Cyprus to combat virus

By Ahmet Sertan Usul

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey provided 72 million Turkish liras ($11 million) financial aid for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, said the Turkish vice president on Saturday.

On Twitter, Fuat Oktay also said that Turkish authorities are continuing to work to help the TRNC with a package similar to the economic measures package announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week.

Turkey on Wednesday unveiled a relief package worth 100 billion Turkish liras ($15.4 billion) to limit the economic fallout from coronavirus.

Oktay said Turkey will always continue to support the TRNC.

The virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 167 countries and regions around the globe, while the tally of confirmed cases almost topped 278,000, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The global death toll has neared 12,000, causing a chain reaction as governments place countries on lockdown to stem the spread.

The pandemic has brought major cities across the world to a standstill sending stocks plunging and businesses facing huge losses.

* Writing by Fahri Aksut