Turkish defense minister joins NATO meeting on COVID-19

By Kemal Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s defense minister on Wednesday attended a NATO teleconference on fighting coronavirus.

Hulusi Akar joined the defense ministers of 30 NATO countries to discuss combatting the pandemic, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Chaired by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO meeting was held via teleconference for the first time rather than the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, the ministry added.

Speaking at the meeting, Akar highlighted measures taken against the virus in Turkey and the aid Ankara has sent to its allies.

Globally, the virus has infected more than 2 million patients and has claimed some 130,000 lives, according to figures compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University.

More than half a million people have recovered.