Turkey

ANKARA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Turkish foreign ministry warned on Sunday that it would consider the forces of Libyan General Khalifa Haftar as "legitimate targets" if their attacks on Turkey's interests and diplomatic missions in Libya persists.

ANKARA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Friday reported 1,848 new COVID-19 cases and 48 more deaths in Turkey.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has climbed to 135,569 while the death toll surged to 3,689, Koca tweeted.

Turkey conducted 33,687 tests for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out to 1,298,806, he stated.

In addition, 86,396 patients have recovered from COVID-19, while 1,219 are being treated at intensive care units and 653 intubated, according to the minister.

ANKARA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Russian forces on Tuesday carried out their eighth joint patrol in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, the Turkish defense ministry said.

"Within the framework of TUR-RF Agreement/Protocol, the eighth TUR-RF Combined Land Patrol on M4 Highway in Idlib was conducted with the participation of land and air elements," the ministry said on Twitter.

This patrol came four days after the seventh one carried out on April 30 as the two countries accelerated the frequency of the patrolling activities.

ISTANBUL, May 4 (NNN-ANADOLU) — Turkey’s biggest city, Istanbul, with a population of 16 million, spent Sunday under lock-down, in line with the government’s measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several on-duty officials, press members, and police forces were seen patrolling the city’s usually most crowded spots, while avenues, streets, and district centres were all deserted

“We can say that Istanbulites this weekend have fully complied with the curfew,” a local journalist said. “The entire city was left to birds.

ANKARA, May 3 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, reported 1,983 new COVID-19 cases and 78 more deaths in Turkey.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country climbed to 124,375, while the death toll surged to 3,336, Koca tweeted.

Turkey conducted 36,318 tests for the virus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out to 1,111,366, he stated.

In addition, 58,259 patients have recovered, while 1,445 are being treated at intensive care units and 778 are intubated, the minister said.

ANKARA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Saturday reported 1,983 new COVID-19 cases and 78 more deaths in Turkey.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country has climbed to 124,375, while the death toll surged to 3,336, Koca tweeted.

Turkey conducted 36,318 tests for the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out to 1,111,366, he stated.

In addition, 58,259 patients have recovered from COVID-19, while 1,445 are being treated at intensive care units and 778 are intubated, the minister said.

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish Trade Ministry lifted temporary export restrictions and a requirement for private companies to obtain advance permission before shipping abroad medical equipment used in treating COVID-19.

A notice published Saturday in Turkey’s Official Gazette rescinded restrictions on exporting ventilators, intubation tubes, life support machines, intensive care unit monitors and other critical care devices.

A government official said the decision reflected Turkey’s decreasing need for the equipment and desire to help other countries facing shortages.

3 May 2020; MEMO: On Thursday, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underlined the benefits of the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) in an article he penned for the latest issue of The Diplomat magazine.

1 May 2020; MEMO: The Turkish Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to take immediate action in response to the Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander, renegade General Khalifa Haftar’s unilateral declaration as “ultimate ruler”, saying he wants to establish a “military dictatorship” in Libya.

30 April 2020; MEMO: A police officer has been arrested and suspended from duty after he shot dead a Syrian teen at a police checkpoint in Adana on Monday.

According to a statement by Adana Governor’s office, Ali Al-Hamdan did not abide by police warning calls and refused to stop for a routine inspection as part of coronavirus curfew measures. He was then “mistakenly” shot dead by police.