Turkey's medical COVID-19 aid arrives in Kyrgyzstan

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) – Kyrgyzstan received medical supplies sent by Turkey to contribute to the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus, Turkey’s deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.

A Turkish cargo plane carrying the supplies landed in the capital Bishkek, Yavuz Selim Kiran said in a tweet.

“The medical aid Turkey sent to Kyrgyzstan as an expression of solidarity on the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reached Bishkek on a Turkish Airlines cargo plane named Ayasofya [Hagia Sophia],” the minister said.

Turkey has sent medical aid to nearly 140 countries to help them combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Since it originated in China last December, over 13.32 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll at nearly 579,000, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than half of all patients worldwide have recovered so far.