Auguste Tano Kouame

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey was one of the rare countries where negative growth did not occur and its economy grew by 1.8% in 2020, said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank country director for Turkey.

The World Bank has approved a $100 million loan to Turkey to support its efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

"The project is part of the World Bank's $14 billion global Fast Track Facility," said a bank statement.

The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors has decided to extend the current partnership program by two years to align with Turkey's 11th Development Program for the 2019-2023 period and its New Economic Program which sets out the longer-term structural reforms to be pursued to address the country's development challenges.