Turkish, Iranian leaders discuss fight against COVID-19

By Sefa Mutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - In a Sunday phone call, the presidents of Turkey and Iran discussed cooperation in the fight against COVID-19, plus bilateral ties and regional issues, according to an official statement.

Turkey's Communications Directorate said Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani also exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional developments.

The two leaders also exchanged greetings for Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The US, Russia, Brazil, and several European countries are currently the hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed nearly 343,000 people worldwide, with more than 5.34 million confirmed cases, while recoveries numbering around 2.14 million, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.