Virus made biggest crisis since WWII: Turkish president

By Kaan Bozdogan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The human cost and economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic have turned it into an era-defining global crisis, said Turkey’s president on Tuesday.

“With its economic fallout, the pandemic has turned into the biggest crisis since World War II,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

His remarks came during a central executive board meeting of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party via videoconferencing.

Turkey has so far registered nearly 91,000 coronavirus cases with a death toll of 2,100.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions.

Data compiled by the U.S.’ Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections have reached nearly 2.5 million, with a death toll of nearly 172,000, while almost 660,000 people have recovered.