No COVID-19 cases among Turkish army staff: Defense minister

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur and Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - There are no confirmed cases among Turkish military staff, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday.

“We have not had any incidents so far, and we will complete our duties without one,” Hulusi Akar said in a press conference.

Akar also announced that a center to mitigate the spread of coronavirus outbreak in the Turkish Armed Forces was established.

The center aims to monitor and manage the measures against the virus in military units and headquarters.

The armed forces are also producing medical masks and sanitizers, Akar said, adding: “We aim to meet the needs of not only the Turkish Armed Forces but all of our people by increasing the production.”

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus known as COVID-19 has spread to at least 169 countries and regions. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

According to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed cases worldwide is over 395,000 and the death toll is now over 17,150, while almost 103,000 have recovered so far.

According to the latest official figures, Turkey has 1,529 confirmed coronavirus cases and the death toll stands at 37.