Health minister says coronavirus encircled Turkey due to slow response of other countries
Turkish Health Minister Koca has said that Iran and Europe have been slow in taking measures against the coronavirus and the situation was putting Turkey at risk. “The reason that the virus appears in 106 countries and not in Turkey is because countries were not strict in closing their borders in the earlier periods. If we had also delayed our decision to close our borders, we could have turned into Iran or Italy,” Koca said.
Duvar English
Turkish Health Minister Fathrettin Koca has said that although Turkey has so far avoided the novel coronavirus, the country was encircled by it due to the imprudence and slow response of other countries.
“Imprudence has encircled our country...It is possible that the coronavirus will appear in our country, but it is in our hands to stop it from spreading,” Koca said during a press conference on March 9.
The minister said that the virus became widespread in the neighboring Iran since Iranian authorities did not impose a quarantine on cities such as Qom the epicenter of the virus – and Mashad.
Koca also said the slow response of European countries, especially Italy, against the virus was putting Turks at risk.
“Europe and Italy acted slowly to take measures and are continuing to act slowly. Europe did not cut its relations with China and Italy. If we had not closed our borders with Iran 16 days ago, 50,000 people would enter Turkey on average per week, and we would have come across this virus in Turkey's many regions,” he said.
“The reason that the virus appears in 106 countries and not in Turkey is because countries were not strict in closing their borders in the earlier periods. If we had also delayed our decision to close our borders, we could have turned into Iran or Italy,” he said.
Koca said the global coronavirus death toll has reached 3,810, adding 60,762 people have up to now contracted the virus but have later recovered. “There is no confirmed case of coronavirus in Turkey...If the virus is going to come to Turkey, it will most probably come from people traveling from abroad,” he said.
Koca also reiterated his previous advice that Turks who have recently traveled abroad should isolate themselves at home for 14 days.
Turkey already suspended all passenger flights from and to China, Iran, Iraq, Italy and South Korea in the wake of an increasing number of coronavirus infections and deaths in those countries.