DEVA chair Babacan tests positive for coronavirus

Duvar English

Turkey's former deputy prime minister Ali Babacan, who founded the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) in March, has announced that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, becoming the most high-profile Turkish politician to contract COVID-19. Babacan said that he is in good health and entered home quarantine with his family.

“I have a little while ago found out that my COVID-19 test result came out positive. Fortunately, I am currently in good health. My doctors have said that I need to stay under quarantine with my family for a while. Hopefully I will continue my works from home. Please take your care of yourselves,” Babacan wrote on Twitter late on Aug. 25.

Biraz önce COVID-19 testimin sonucunun pozitif olduğunu öğrendim. Şu an durumum iyi çok şükür. Doktorlarım bir süre ailemle birlikte karantina altında kalmam gerektiğini söyledi. Çalışmalarıma evden devam edeceğim inşallah.

Sağlıkla kalın ve lütfen kendinize dikkat edin.

— Ali Babacan (@alibabacan) August 25, 2020

The 53-year-old Babacan resigned from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) last year, citing “deep differences” about the direction of the party. He has not been shying about criticizing the AKP's policies since he launched DEVA earlier this year.

Babacan was a founding member of the AKP. He served as economy minister and foreign minister before becoming deputy prime minister, a role he held from 2009 to 2015. . During his time in the AKP government, Babacan was highly regarded by foreign officials and was referred to as the chief architect of the AKP’s early economic successes.

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