Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after Friday prayers in Istanbul that the republic will receive an "impressive amount" of the Sputnik V vaccine as part of agreements with Russia. The broadcast was carried by the NTV channel.
"We have negotiated with Russia, and hopefully we will receive the Sputnik V vaccine. Our line ministry will still negotiate with the Russian side, and I will discuss this issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. I expect that we will receive an impressive amount of Sputnik V from Russia," he said.
Erdogan also noted that Turkey "has no problem providing the population with vaccines" against the coronavirus. "We have vaccines available. And there are enough of them, so I don't accept any speculation about this. In addition to Russia, there are certain supply agreements with Germany. And we are working on a domestic vaccine," he said.
On April 28, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that the republic had signed a contract for the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine. The first shipment is expected in May, and local authorities are finalizing the authorization process for the emergency use of the drug. In addition, Koca noted that "technology has been transferred for the production of Sputnik V in Turkey."
On April 26, the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Turkish pharmaceutical company Viesson Ilac agreed to produce the Sputnik V vaccine in Turkey.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS